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JOSEPH  HARVEY  MUNDELL 


June  1921 


OUR  JOE 


OR 


Why  We  Believe  Our  Brother 
Lives  ! 

By 

Charles  S.  Mundell 


Published  by 

THE  AUSTIN  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
Los  Angeles,  California 


Copyright,  1922 
By  CHARLES  S.    MUNDELL 


DEDICATION 

This  Book  is  Sacred  to  the  Memory  of  My 
Brother  Joe,  Who,  on  the  Seventh  day  of 
August,  Nineteen  and  Twenty-One,  Was 
Accidentally  Shot  and  Instantly  Killed,  But 
Who  We  Believe  Has  Returned  To  Us,  From 
the  Other  Side  of  Death,  With  Messages  of 
Love  and  Hope,  and  With  the  Assurance 
That,  t(There  Is  No  Death,  What  Seems  So 
Is  Trasition." 


468641 


Contents 


Chapter.  Page. 

Introduction    7 

I.      The   Tragedy 13 

II.      The  Joe  We  Knew 27 

III.  The  Problem  of  Pain  and  Evil 35 

IV.  If  a  Man  Die  Shall  He  Live  Again? 47 

V.      Immortality  in  the  Light  of  Evolution.  .  .  .       59 

VI.      Our  First  Table  Sitting 85 

VII.      First   Sitting   of   C.  S.  M.   with   Mrs.  Emma 

Nanning 95 

VIII.      Second    Sitting   with   Mrs.    Nanning 99 

IX.      First  Messages  Received  in  Public  Service.    105 

X.      Second  Table  Sitting  at  Home Ill 

XI.      Third  Table  Sitting 114 

XII.      First  Messages  Through  Mrs.  Marie  Wallace   117 

XIII.  Messages    from    M.  L.  M.'s    Father 123 

XIV.  Private  Sitting  of  S.  A.  M.  with  Mrs.  Wallace   124 
XV.      Fourth  Table  Sitting  at  Home 127 

XVI.      Fifth   Table    Sitting 129 

XVII.      Sixth   Table   Sitting 132 

XVIII.      Seventh   Table   Sitting 135 

XIX.      Message  from  Mrs.  Hyams  to  C.  S.  M 136 

XX.      Table  Sitting  of  October  18 136 

XXI.      Table  Sitting  of  October  20 138 

XXII.      First  Seance  with  Mrs.  M.  J.  Isles 143 

XXIII.  Table  Sitting  of  October  22 145 

XXIV.  Table  Sitting  of  October  24 147 

XXV.      Private  Sitting  of  V.  M.  M.  with  Mrs.  Wallace   149 

XXVI.      Second   Isles'    Seance 152 

XXVII.      Our  Strange  Table  Sitting  of  October  27.  .    154 

XXVIII.      Table  Sitting  of  October  28 158 

XXIX.      Table  Sitting  of  October  29 161 

XXX.      Messages  from  Mrs.  Hyams  to  V.  M.  M. .  .    163 
XXXI.      Messages  Received  in  Home  Circle  of  Mrs. 

R.  Hyams 164 

XXXII.      Table  Sitting  of  November  6 165 

XXXIII.  First  Messages  Through  F.   K.  Brown 168 

XXXIV.  Third   Isles'   Seance 171 

XXXV.      Private  Sitting  of  S.  A.M.  with  Mrs.  Isles.  .    178 

XXXVI.      Private  Sitting  of  C.  S.  M.  with  Mr.  Brown.    184 

XXXVII.      Fourth   Isles'    Seance 199 

First  Appendix:        Concerning  Anticipated 
"Explanations,"         "Objections,"         and 

"Replies"     207 

Second  Appendix :    Have  Animals  Immortal 
Souls?    .217 


Introduction 

The  author  of  this  book  has  only  recently  come  to  a 
conviction  of  the  Truth  of  Spiritualism. 

By  profession  I  am  a  minister,  and  by  denominational 
affiliation,  a  Congregationalist. 

I  was  baptized  into  the  Baptist  Church  when  I  was 
twelve  years  of  age.  Three  years  later  I  had  definitely 
entered  the  Christian  ministry. 

For  five  years  I  labored  as  an  "evangelist,"  and  was 
known  thru-out  the  South  and  West  as  the  "Boy 
Preacher." 

I  was  ordained  by  a  Baptist  Presbytery,  Nov.  17, 
1912,  when  I  lacked  two  days  of  being  seventeen. 

During  those  five  years  in  which  I  "did  the  work  of 
an  evangelist,"  I  was  rabidly  and  belligerently  orthodox. 
My  highest  aim  and  aspiration  was  ultimately  to  become 
another  "Billy"  Sunday! 

A  volume  of  my  sermons  was  published  in  the  early 
part  of  1913.  I  had  just  closed  a  series  of  evangelistic 
meetings  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colo.  That  the  reader  may 
better  understand  my  "soundness  of  doctrine,"  as  I  then 
held  it,  permit  me  to  quote  a  few  sentences  therefrom : 

"Cain  was  the  first  Unitarian.  He  was  the  first  to 
substitute  his  own  righteousness  for  the  shed  blood.  A 
Unitarian  is  not  a  Christian.  Hell  is  full  of  these  so- 
called  'liberals'.  Spiritualism  is  of  the  devil,  and  so  is 
Christian  Science.  If  you  follow  these  damnable  cults, 
you  will  surely  go  to  hell !" 

I  was  twenty  years  old  when  the  crisis  came. 

For  five  years  I  had  preached  the  "Old-fashioned 
faith."  I  had  held  revival  after  revival,  in  which  I  plead 
with  men  and  women  to  "escape  from  the  wrath  to 
come." 

It  was  my  conviction  at  that  time  that  the  whole 
world  was  lost  and  ruined. 


To  use  an  illuscrat-OT!  of  the  noted  Dr.  I.  M.  Hal  de- 
man,  of  New  York  City :  "The  world,  as  such,  is  beyond 
salvation.  It  is  destined  to  grow  worse  and  worse,  until 
the  end  of  time.  It  is  like  a  ship,  which  has  struck  a 
rock,  and  is  going  down.  Attempts  at  'reforming'  the 
world  are  like  rushing  on  board  this  sinking  ship  and 
painting  the  floors,  and  decorating  the  panels.  What's  the 
use  ?  The  only  wise  thing  for  us  as  Christians  to  do,  is 
to  get  out  the  life-boats,  and  rescue  all  we  can." 

As  an  ordained  minister  of  the  Missionary  Baptist 
Church  in  the  South,  my  theology  was  as  crude,  and  as  re- 
actionary, as  that  of  Calvin  or  Spurgeon,  or  William  A. 
Sunday. 

No  evangelist  ever  preached  total  depravity,  blood- 
atonement,  or  eternal  damnation  with  more  passion  or 
earnestness  than  I. 

I  was  sincere !  I  really  believed  these  infamous  dog- 
mas, and  believing  them,  considered  myself  Divinely  called 
to  preach  them. 

My  sermon  on  "A  Message  from  Hell,"  taken  from 
the  parable  of  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus,  was  a  terrible 
thing !  I  shudder,  even  now,  when  I  think  of  the  infinite 
slander  which  I  was  innocently  guilty  of,  in  preaching  that 
doctrine. 

Should  any  of  those  who  once  heard  me  preach  that 
doctrine  get  hold  of  this  book,  permit  me  to  assure  you, 
I  would  give  my  right  hand  if  I  could  recall  those  false 
and  monstrous  insults  hurled  in  the  name  of  the  God  of 
Infinite  Love  and  Mercy ! 

From  "Gospel  Shots,"  the  volume  of  sermons  above 
mentioned,  page  72,  in  a  sermon  entitled,  "Mother,  Home 
and  Heaven,"  I  quote  the  following  "pearls"  of  "Ortho- 
doxy:" 

"I  say,  to  hell  with  your  damnable  old  doctrine  of 
Unitarianism.  It  is  as  rotten  as  hell.  I  got  hold  of  a 
Unitarian  tract  the  other  day,  entitled,  "Salvation  by 
Character."  Great  God!  MY  Bible  says,  "Saved  by 
Grace."  No,  sir!  You  will  never  see  heaven  until  you 
are  saved  by  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  Christ." 

The  first  thing  that  I  want  to  bring  out  about  Heaven 
is,  that  Heaven  is  a  Place.  Jesus  says,  "I  go  to  prepare 


a  Place  for  you,  and  if  I  prepare  a  Place  for  you,  I  will 
come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  myself."  Heaven  is  not 
a  state,  nor  a  condition,  but  it  is  a  place ! 

There  are  two  things  that  I  have  never  been  able  to 
comprehend — Eternity,  and  God's  love.  Eternity  is  a  long 
time,  my  friends;  where  are  you  going  to  spend  it?  You 
have  got  to  spend  it  in  heaven  or  in  hell !  Oh,  eternity, 
eternity,  how  long,  how  long?  If  God  should  commission  a 
bird  to  fly  from  Mars  to  the  earth,  once  every  thousand 
years,  and  carry  away  one  grain  at  a  time,  the  time  would 
come  when  the  earth  would  be  all  carried  away — eternity 
has  just  begun!  Or  if  the  earth  were  a  solid  rock,  and 
God  should  have  a  worm  crawl  over  it  once  every  million 
years,  the  time  would  be  some  day,  when  the  entire  earth 
would  be  worn  away — yet,  eternity  has  just  begun! 
Imagine  spending  that  in  the  fires  of  the  bottomless  pits 
of  hell!  We  read  that  these  pits  are  bottomless.  Then 
when  the  poor  lost  soul  is  cast****into  the  pit****it  will 
go  down,  and  down,  forever  and  forever.  Every  million 
miles  that  you  sink,  you  will  be  that  much  farther  away 
from  God  and  hope.  Oh,  sinner!  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come !  "But  where  shall  I  fly?"  cries  the  poor,  benighted, 
lost,  and  damned  sinner.  "Fly  to  the  bosom  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  be  eternally  saved!" 

Eight  years  have  elapsed  since  that  volume  of  ser- 
mons was  published,  and  I  am  ashamed  to  confess  now, 
that  the  book  is  literally  full  of  just  that  kind  of  dry  rot 
and  orthodox  nonsense !  My  fondest  hope  is  that  every 
other  volume  besides  the  one  I  keep  as  a  curio,  has  per- 
ished and  that  its  slanders  against  God  are  forgotten ! 

Thank  God,  nearly  six  years  ago  I  broke  with  the 
awful  nightmare  of  orthodox  theology,  and  now  my  great- 
est delight  is  in  nailing  its  monstrous  lies  to  the  wall  of 
Truth! 

I  gave  up  evangelistic  work  when  I  was  twenty-one, 
for  the  reason  that  I  found  I  had  outgrown,  and 
could  no  longer  honestly  preach,  the  thread-bare  dogmas 
of  evangelicalism. 

The  final  break  came  largely  as  a  result  of  my  studies 
in  General  Science ;  particularly  when  I  became  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  evolution. 


I  left  Texas  and  came  to  California,  where  I  spent 
three  months  in  the  Pacific  Unitarian  School,  at  Berkeley. 
Here  I  came  in  contact  with  Dr.  Earl  M.  Wilbur,  and  Dr. 
William  S.  Morgan,  two  of  the  finest  characters  it  has 
ever  been  my  privilege  to  know;  and  altho  I  was  in  the 
school  but  a  short  time,  I  gained  a  great  deal  of  good 
from  it. 

From  1917  to  1920  I  was  active  as  a  speaker  and 
lecturer. 

It  was  in  April,  1920,  that  I  accepted  a  call  to  be- 
come pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  at  Jen- 
nings, Oklahoma.  In  October  of  the  same  year,  during  the 
Association  Meeting,  I  was  formally  received  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  Eastern  Association  of  Congregagtional 
Churches  and  Ministers. 

From  Jennings  I  went  to  Oklahoma  City,  where  I 
was  pastor  until  the  tragic  death  of  my  dear  brother. 

Before  entering  upon  the  investigations  recorded 
in  the  following  chapters,  I  had  made  a  considerable  study 
of  the  literature  of  the  Society  of  Psychic  Research ;  but 
my  interest  at  that  time  was  purely  speculative  and  philo- 
sophical. I  was  open  to  conviction,  but  very  skeptical, 
with  a  bias  against  Spiritualism. 

The  reader  is  asked  to  weigh  the  evidence  herein  sub- 
mitted candidly,  fairly,  and  honestly.  Draw  your  own 
conclusions,  and  whether  you  are  convinced  or  not,  it  is 
my  sincere  hope  that  you  may  be  furnished  with  food 
for  thought  and  further  investigation. 

Our  reason  for  thus  submitting  to  a  critical  public 
these  matters  of  family  history,  is  two-fold ; 

First,  because  we  are  thoroughly  convinced  ourselves 
of  the  reality  of  communication  between  the  two  spheres 
of  existence,  and  have  been,  therefore,  very  grateful  for 
the  messages  of  consolation  and  assurance  which  we  be- 
lieve have  come  through  to  us  from  our  dear  ones  on  the 
other  side;  and  especially  from  the  one  whose  going  has 
been  so  recent,  and  which  has  torn  our  hearts  with  such 
sorrow  and  grief;  and  because  we  have  been  comforted 
and  helped,  we  trust  that  others  may  be  comforted  and 
helped ; 


Second,  because  we  believe  he  has  commanded  this  of 
us,  and  because  he  wants  it  given  out,  for  what  good  it 
may  do,  we  cannot  shirk  our  sacred  responsibility. 

We  fully  realize  that  in  giving  to  the  world  the  con- 
tents of  this  volume,  we  are  exposing  ourselves  to  the  in- 
credulity, suspicion,  and  uncharitableness  of  an  unbeliev- 
ing world ;  nevertheless,  we  say  with  Paul  of  ancient  days, 
"We  cannot  be  disobedient  unto  the  heavenly  vision." 

My  thanks  are  due  to  my  mother  and  my  wife  for 
their  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  this  work,  to  my 
friend  the  Rev.Robert  Whitaker,  for  his  careful  read- 
ing, his  criticisms  and  suggestions  in  the  revision  of  the 
mansucript;  and  to  the  friendly  mediums  whose  serv- 
ices have  made  this  investigation  possible. 

CHARLES  S.  MUNDELL, 
December,  1921  Oakland,  California. 


Our  Joe 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  TRAGEDY 


"YOUR  BROTHER  JOE  KILLED  IN  MOUNTAINS  WHILE 
HUNTING.  BODY  WILL  BE  SHIPPED  HOME  TOMORROW. 
WIRE  YOUR  PARENTS  AT  HOME  WHETHER  YOU  CAN  COME." 

D.  B.  HUGGINS. 

Such  was  the  terrible  telegram  which  greeted  me  on 
Thursday,  August  18,  1921,  about  6  p.m. 

I  was  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  when  I  received  this 
shocking  news,  and  was  supplying  the  pulpit  of  the  Second 
Congregational  Church,  Canton,  with  a  view  to  a  possible 
call.  I  had  been  there  since  the  previous  Saturday,  having 
accepted  an  invitation  from  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Church  to  supply  their  pulpit  for  three  Sundays  during 
the  month  of  August. 

I  was  minister,  at  that  time,  of  the  Community  House 
Branch  of  the  Pilgrim  Congregational  Church,  Oklahoma 
City. 

It  was  only  after  an  extended  correspondence  be- 
tween myself  and  the  Clerk  of  the  Baltimore  Church  that 
I  finally  agreed  to  make  the  visit  to  Baltimore.  I  was 
reluctant  to  leave  my  Oklahoma  City  field,  having  been 
there  but  three  months;  however,  the  Trustees  of  the 
Second  Church,  Baltimore,  had  practically  refused  to  take 
no  for  an  answer,  and  had  written,  in  answer  to  a  letter 
of  mine  declining  the  call,  urging  me  to  come  for  a  "trial 
period,"  and  expressing  the  conviction  that  if  I  could  only 
see  for  myself  the  wonderful  opportunities  existing  in 
that  field,  I  could  then  decide  whether  to  accept  the  call, 
or  to  return  to  Oklahoma  City. 


14  OUR   JOE 

This  proposition  seemed  fair  enough,  so  I  wrote  the 
Clerk  that  I  would  accept  their  invitation,  with  the  dis- 
tinct understanding  that  neither  they  nor  I  should  be 
considered  under  any  obligation  to  the  other;  that  the 
whole  matter  should  be  purely  tentative. 

On  the  morning  of  that  never-to-be-forgotten  Thurs- 
day a  letter  had  come  to  me  from  my  wife  (who  had  re- 
mained in  Oklahoma  City  to  take  care  of  our  work  there) , 
enclosing  a  letter  to  us  from  my  mother,  who  had  accom- 
panied my  father  to  a  convention  of  the  "Brotherhood  of 
Railway  Carmen  of  America"  (a  Railroad  Labor  Union, 
of  which  my  father  was  a  member,  and  a  General  Chair- 
man of  their  Joint  Protective  Board  on  the  Pacific  Coast) , 
at  Toronto,  Canada. 

In  her  letter  to  us  my  mother  mentioned  the  fact  that 
"Joe  had  gone  on  his  hunting  trip,  to  be  gone  about  two 
weeks,"  and  that  she  had  taken  advantage  of  his  going 
away  to  visit  Canada,  fearing  that  such  an  opportunity 
might  never  again  come  her  way. 

So  I  knew  that  my  brother  had  gone  on  what  later 
proved  to  be  his  fatal  hunting  trip. 

The  telegram  had  been  sent  to  me  by  my  father's 
secretary,  and  was  sent  from  San  Francisco  to  Okla- 
homa City. 

Mr.  Huggins,  unfortunately,  did  not  know  my  Okla- 
homa City  street  address.  He  did  not  know  even  the 
name  of  the  church  with  which  I  was  connected.  The 
only  thing  he  knew  to  do  was  to  send  me  a  telegram  in 
care  of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  but  he  made  the 
mistake  of  writing  "First  Presbyterian  Church,"  so  that 
considerable  time  was  lost  before  my  wife  finally  re- 
ceived the  news. 

Dr!  Baird,  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
was  away  on  his  vacation,  and  the  telegram  was  delivered 
to  the  associate  minister,  Mr.  Hicks.  The  telegram  was 
addressed  to  "Charles  Mundell,"  and  he  didn't  know  any- 
one by  that  name. 

The  first  my  wife  knew  of  the  matter  was  when  a 
reporter  for  the  "Daily  News"  called  her  up  and  asked 


OUR   JOE  15 

her  if  she  knew  such  a  telegram  had  been  received  by 
Mr.  Hicks. 

My  wife  then  telephoned  Mr.  Hicks,  and  he  referred 
her  to  the  Western  Union.  She  called  up  the  Western 
Union,  and  the  telegram  was  read  to  her.  She  then  in- 
structed them  to  forward  a  duplicate  message  to  me,  704 
S.  Decker  Ave.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

I  was  not  staying  at  704  S.  Decker  Ave.,  but  was  hav- 
ing my  mail  sent  to  that  address.  Consequently,  it  was 
several  hours  from  the  time  the  telegram  was  written  in 
San  Francisco  until  it  finally  reached  me  at  3241  Elliott 
St.,  Baltimore,  where  I  was  being  entertained. 

That  afternoon  I  had  been  downtown,  spending  sev- 
eral hours  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Church.  I  had 
written  several  letters,  and  among  them  letters  to  my  wife 
and  to  my  mother.  Earlier  in  the  day  I  had  sent  a  post- 
card to  my  brother  who  I  supposed,  was  still  in  Oakland 

About  nine  o'clock  that  morning  I  left  the  house,  3241 
Elliott  St.,  instructing  Mrs.  Leonard,  the  kind  lady  whose 
home  was  mine  during  my  stay  there,  that  I  was  expect- 
ing the  expressman  to  deliver  my  typewriter  some  time 
that  day,  and  for  her  to  receive  it  if  it  came. 

When  I  returned  to  the  house  a  little  before  six 
o'clock,  the  first  words  which  greeted  me  were  from  Mr. 
Leonard,  and  were :  "Mr.  Mundell,  your  typewriter 
came,"  and  then,  "Here  is  a  telegram  for  you,  too!" 

I  was  not  expecting  a  telegram,  and  my  first  thoughts 
were  that  perhaps  something  had  happened  to  my  little 
boy,  Charles,  Jr.,  or  to  my  wife,  or  to  my  mother.  But  I 
never  expected  the  terrible  words  which  stared  at  me 
from  that  yellow  blank:  "Your  brother  Joe  killed  in 
mountains  while  hunting.  Body  will  be  shipped  home 
tomorrow.  Wire  your  parents  at  home  whether  you  can 
come.  (Signed)  D.  B.  Huggins." 

Words  utterly  fail  me  when  I  attempt  to  put  on 
paper  the  awful  effect  these  words  seemed  to  have  upon 
me.  God  in  heaven  only  knows  how  intensely  I  suffered, 
and  what  depth  of  grief  was  mine  during  those  heart- 
breaking moments  which  followed. 


16  OUR   JOE 

It  seemed  to  me  as  though  a  sharp  knife  had  been 
plunged  into  my  heart !  I  was  stunned !  Overwhelmed ! 
Dazed ! 

"My  brother  Joe  killed !    Joe  ?    Our  Joe  ?" 

I  cannot  recall,  very  distinctly,  just  what  I  did  dur- 
ing those  moments  of  blinding  grief,  nor  what  I  said,  but 
if  you,  my  reader,  have  ever  lost  an  only  brother — a  dear, 
loyal,  faithful  brother — a  childhood  playmate  and  com- 
panion— of  whom  you  were  passionately  proud — and  for 
whom  you  felt  a  profound  affection — you  can  perhaps 
imagine  what  I  suffered! 

I  did  not  pretend,  or  even  try,  to  sleep  that  terrible 
night !  All  night  long  I  walked  the  streets  of  Baltimore, 
trying  to  realize  the  significance  of  the  news  I  had 
received. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  Joe  was  dead?  How  thor- 
oughly alive,  and  in  what  splendid,  robust  health,  when  I 
had  seen  him  last,  about  a  year  and  a  half  before ! 

My  brother  Joe  was  four  years,  three  months,  and 
ten  days  younger  than  I.  He  was  born  Feb.  29,  1900,  at 
Stillwater,  Oklahoma.  He  was  a  leap  year  child,  and  we 
used  to  tease  him  to  the  effect  that  he  could  have  but  one 
birthday  every  four  years. 

Joe  was  the  baby. 

Four  chldren  were  born  to  my  father  and  mother,  in 
the  order  here  named:  Anna  Bell,  Charles  Samuel,  Wil- 
liam Jennings,  and  Joseph  Harvey.  Annie  was  born  Sept. 
19,  1893,  and  was,  consequently,  two  years  and  two 
months  my  senior. 

I  was  born  Nov.  19,  1895.  It  seems  quite  a  coinci- 
dence that  my  sister  and  I  were  both  born  on  Tuesdays, 
and  both  on  the  19th  day. 

William  Jennings  (in  honor  of  W.  J.  Bryan,  of  whom 
my  father  and  mother  were  great  admirers)  was  born 
Feb.  28,  1898 — two  years  and  three  months  younger 
than  I. 

Sister  Annie  had  reached  the  age  of  three  months, 
when  she  succumbed  to  an  attack  of  pneumonia.  Dear 


OUR   JOE  17 

little  sister !  I  was  not  permitted  the  pleasure  of  knowing 
her.  How  I  always  wished  for  a  sister! 

Little  Willie  (for  this  was  the  "name  we  always  called 
him)  reached  the  age  of  one  year,  five  months,  and  one 
day,  when  he,  too,  was  taken  from  us  by  an  attack  of 
summer  complaint. 

Our  Joe  was  with  us  for  twenty-one  years  and  five 
months,  and  was  taken  from  us,  seemingly,  at  the  bright- 
est and  most  promising  period  of  his  life. 

At  the  time  of  his  passing,  Joe  was  a  perfect  picture 
of  health  and  strength.  Of  medium  height,  broad 
shoulders,  well-formed  physique,  except  for  the  tragic 
accident,  it  is  likely  Joe  would  have  lived  out  a  long  life. 

Of  his  physical  beauty  and  perfectness  of  form,  an 
army  physician  said :  "In  all  my  experience  as  an  army 
physician,  I  have  never  examined  a  more  splendid  body." 

The  coroner  who  examined  my  brother's  body  was 
credited  with  the  exclamation :  "My  God !  What  a  per- 
fect body!" 

My  brother  was  an  unusual  boy,  in  many  respects, 
and  I  believe  the  reader  will  agree  with  me  when  he  con- 
siders the  following  facts : 

For  about  three  years,  and  a  half  before  his  death  he 
was  employed  as  an  "Airman"  at  the  West  Oakland  pas- 
senger yards  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company. 

During  all  that  time,  instead  of  spending  his  earn- 
ings foolishly,  or  wasting  them  in  "riotous"  living,  or  in 
other  forms  of  extravagance  and  excess,  he  saved  them. 
He  started  a  bank  account,  and  each  month  would  add  to 
it  from  his  wages. 

He  was  not  "close"  or  "miserly"  in  this  respect. 

He  contributed  $30.00  per  month  to  the  family  ex- 
penses ;  that  is,  he  paid  that  much  to  his  mother  for  board 
and  room. 

He  dressed  well.  He  wore  good  clothes.  He  had  his 
amusements.  He  went  out  for  "good  times";  that  is,  he 
would  attend  the  theater  and  the  dance,  or  he  would  take 
a  girl  friend  out  to  Idora  Park  for  skating  and  dancing, 
and  to  other  places  of  harmless  amusement. 


18  OUR    JOE 

But  he  did  not  dissipate.  Only  at  extremely  rare 
intervals  did  he  ever  partake  of  intoxicating  liquors. 

He  did  not  gamble,  nor  waste  his  substance  in  places 
of  vice  and  shame. 

When  I  was  at  home  a  year  and  a  half  before,  I  had 
occasion  to  need  some  money.  Out  of  the  goodness  of  his 
generous  and  loyal  heart  he  loaned  his  brother  $150.00. 

Out  of  his  earnings  as  an  employee  of  the  Southern 
Pacific  he  managed  to  save,  in  a  little  over  three  years' 
time,  four  thousand  dollars! 

In  February,  before  his  passing  in  August,  he  had 
become  the  owner  of  a  $4,000  ten-room  house  on  East 
Eleventh  Street,  in  Oakland. 

Surely  this  is  an  unusual  achievement  for  a  boy 
barely  past  21 ! 

And  the  thought  that  he  was  taken  away  from  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruit  of  his  honest  labor  has  been  one 
of  the  bitterest  for  us  to  endure! 

My  brother's  property  represented  the  fruit  of  his 
honest  toil!  It  had  been  ground  out  of  his  sweat  and 
labor!  It  was  covered  with  no  man's  blood,  for  it  had 
been  earned,  and  not  won  at  the  expense  of  someone  else ! 

"Your  brother  Joe  killed!".  Joe  dead!  "And  this," 
thought  I,  in  my  bitterness,  "This  is  his  reward  for  faith- 
fulness and  hard  work!" 

All  night  long,  that  miserable  night,  I  battled  with 
the  devils  of  bitterness,  cynicism,  infidelity,  and  rebellion 
against  God!  It  seemed  to  me  that  this,  my  brother's 
tragedy,  was  a  monstrous  wrong,  an  infinite  injustice! 

Why  should  a  benevolent,  a  just,  a  good  God,  permit 
such  a  terrible  thing  to  happen?  If  he  were  Almighty, 
why,  in  the  name  of  Right  and  Justice,  did  He  not  cause 
something  to  intervene  which  would  have  prevented  such 
an  untimely  fate  for  such  a  promising  young  man ! 

That  night  I  sent  the  following  telegram  to  my 
father : 

"Can  funeral  wait  till  I  can  make  trip  from  Baltimore 
to  Oakland.  If  so,  will  start  soon  as  receive  answer.  In 
deepest  sorrow,  Charles  Mundell." 


OUR   JOE  19 

The  next  morning  I  received  the  following  reply : 

"Our  darling  met  death  on  August  seventh  and  body 
recovered  only  today.  Impossible  to  hold  body  longer. 
Would  be  glad  if  one  or  both  of  you  could  come  for  month. 
(Signed)  S.  A.  Mundell." 

This  was  more  terrible  news.  I  was  not  even  to  be 
permitted  to  see  my  dear  brother's  face,  or  even  to  attend 
his  funeral ! 

As  yet  I  had  received  only  the  barest  particulars.  My 
brother  Joe  was  dead!  Had  been  killed  on  the  7th  and 
body  not  recovered  until  then.  What  could  it  mean  ? 

I  could  only  surmise  as  to  how  he  had  been  killed. 
Whether  he  had  been  accidentally  shot  by  another  hunter, 
or  had  shot  himself;  or  whether  he  had  been  murdered, 
or  had  fallen  down  a  steep  precipice,  I  did  not  know ! 

For  the  next  several  days  I  was  in  an  agony  of 
suspense. 

From  the  news  stands  I  purchased  copies  of  the  San 
Francisco  Chronicle,  and  the  S.  F.  Examiner,  and  there  in 
the  "Chronicle"  I  read: 

"Searchers  Find  No  Trace  of  Missing  Boy,"  fol- 
lowed by  an  account  of  how  he  had  left  camp  the  7th, 
and  had  been  lost  for  more  than  a  week.  At  the  time  this 
article  was  published  (Aug.  15)  he  had  not  been  found, 
and  his  fate  was  unknown.. 

I  determined  to  run  down  to  Washington,  where  I 
knew  I  could  find  the  Oakland  papers  on  file  in  the  Con- 
gressional Library.  Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of 
August  23d  I  caught  the  electric  car  for  the  capital. 

During  my  visit  to  the  Library  of  Congress,  I  read 
the  following  accounts,  as  published  in  the  "Oakland 
Tribune"  of  Aug.  16  and  Aug.  18,  respectively: 

"In  a  wild  section  of  the  mountains  of  Mendocino  County,  ten 
miles  from  where  young  Joe  Mundell  of  904  Brush  Street  dis- 
appeared on  August  8  while  hunting,  searchers  today  found  traces 
of  the  missing  lad.  Scratches  and  blood  splotches  on  the  rocks 
there  indicated,  searchers  said,  that  the  young  man  had  staggered 
or  had  been  carried  over  the  spot.  That  the  Mundell  youth  had 
been  shot  by  another  deer  hunter,  who  mistook  him  for  a  deer,  and 
then,  after  discovering  his  act,  dragged  the  body  oif  to  a  lonely  spot 
and  buried  it,  was  the  theory  advanced  by  Oscar  and  Charles  Mun- 


20  OUR   JOE 

dell,  brothers  of  the  missing  man,  from  Los  Angeles,  who  arrived 
on  the  scene  today. 

"Although  three  score  searchers  combed  the  mountainous 
regions  near  Gwin's  Camp  in  Mendocino  County  all  day  yesterday 
and  late  into  the  night,  no  trace  was  found. 

"MundelPs  dog,  an  Airedale  pup,  which  returned  to  camp  on 
the  third,  day  after  his  master  had  failed  to  report  back  after  a 
hunting  expedition,  failed  yesterday  to  lead  a  party  to  his  master. 
After  three  days  of  rest,  he  started  out  yesterday  at  the  head  of  a 
small  party  of  searchers,  who  were  confident  that  he  would  lead 
them  to  the  body  of  Mundell.  The  dog  apparently  had  lost  his  trail 
of  three  nights  before,  when  he  crawled  back  to  camp  so  fatigued 
and  weak  from  the  loss  of  blood  that  he  could  hardly  stand  and  was 
unable  to  back-track.  He  lost  his  own  trail  on  a  divide  and  made 
several  wide  circles  apparently  in  an  effort  to  pick  it  up,  but  failed. 
Old  woodsmen  believe  that  his  injuries  were  caused  by  a  panther, 
or  possibly  a  bear,  but  put  little  credence  in  the  theory  that  a  wild 
animal  probably  attacked  Mundell." 

THE  SECOND  ACCOUNT  PUBLISHED  AFTER  THE 
FINDING  OF  THE  BODY 

"Joe  Mundell,  Oakland  lad,  whose  body  was  found  in  the  wilds 
of  Mendocino  County  late  yesterday  after  he  had  been  missing  since 
August  8,  when  he  failed  to  return  from  a  hunting  trip,  did  not  die 
of  starvation,  as  first  reported  from  the  posse  that  found  the  body, 
but  from  a  bullet  which  it  is  believed  the  lad  may  have  fired  into 
his  brain  to  prevent  death  from  exhaustion  and  starvation. 

"The  body  was  found  one  and  one-half  miles  from  where  Mun- 
dell was  last  seen  by  his  companions  near  Gwin's  Camp.  It  was 
lying  face  downward,  a  bullet  hole  in  the  face  at  the  left  side  of 
the  nose.  The  back  of  the  lad's  head  was  completely  torn  away. 

A  few  feet  from  the  body  lay  MundelFs  rifle,  containing  an 
empty  cartridge.  Between  the  body  and  the  rifle  was  a  log,  on 
which  it  is  believed  the  lad  sat  for  some  time  at  the  end  of  his  battle 
against  the  cruel  demands  of  the  wilds,  a  loser.  Facing  starvation 
and  completely  exhausted,  it  is  believed  by  leaders  of  the  posse  that 
he  decided  to  end  his  sufferings  rather  than  die  by  inches. 

"Th  body  was  taken  into  Ukiah,  where  a  coroner's  jury  found 
that  Mundell  died  by  the  discharge  of  his  own  rifle.  It  was  held  by 
some  that  the  young  hunter  might  have  in  some  manner  discharged 
his  rifle  while  stepping  over  the  log.  The  jury  held  the  shooting 
accidental.  The  brush  around  the  spot,  evidence  showed,  had  been 
disturbed  as  though  the  lad  had  there  on  that  spot  made  a  desperate 
effort  to  gain  the  upper  hand  in  a  battle  against  starvation. 

"It  is  thought  that  Mundell  probably  died  on  the  third  day, 
for  it  was  that  night  that  his  dog,  an  Airedale  pup,  crawled  back 
into  camp,  bleeding  and  fatigued.  It  is  believed  by  some  that  the 
dog  remained  with  his  master's  body  until  some  wild  animal,  prob- 
ably a  panther,  ventured  too  close,  with  the  result  that  the  dog 
endeavored  to  fight  it  off  and  met  with  cruel  punishment.  The  dog 


OUR   JOE  21 

endeavored  to  lead  a  party  back  to  the  body  of  its  master,  but  lost 
its  own  trail  on  a  high  ridge  and  gave  up. 

"More  than  100  men  have  participated  in  the  search,  which 
ended  late  yesterday  when  Dave  Boyd  found  the  body." 

These  two  "Tribune"  articles  represent  very  good 
examples  of  newspaper  carelessness,  exaggeration  and 
sensationalism.  The  reader  will  note  several  mistakes,  as 
well  as  the  obvious  fact  that  the  author  had  allowed  his 
imagination  free  rein. 

The  "Charles  and  Oscar  Mundell"  referred  to  in  the 
account  of  Aug.  16  were  uncles,  and  not  brothers.  I 
happened  to  be  Joe's  only  brother,  and  I  was  three  thou- 
sand miles  away  at  the  time  of  the  search.  Neither  were 
the  Merckels  relatives.  They  were  merely  friends,  of 
many  years'  standing. 

The  little  Airedale  dog  referred  to  in  the  Tribune 
articles  did  not  belong  to  my  brother.  She  belonged  to 
Mr.  Walter  Gschwend,  another  member  of  the  hunting 
party,  but  soon  took  up  with  Joe  and  refused  to  leave  his 
side.  In  spite  of  all  protesting  from  her  master,  the  dog 
persisted  in  following  Joe.  My  father  has  since  pur- 
chased the  dog  and  she  is  in  our  home. 

The  account  of  the  18th,  reporting  the  finding  of  the 
body,  was  likewise  an  incorrect  and  distorted  story. 

The  number  that  I  saw  in  the  reading  room  of  the 
Congressional  Library  was  an  "Extra"  and  had  printed, 
in  bold  box-car  type,  across  the  wKole  front  page,  an  abso- 
lute and  monstrous  untruth : 

"Lost  Hunter,  Starving,  and  Facing  Exhaustion, 
Ends  Life,  Is  Belief." 

Now,  this  was  a  deliberate  falsehood,  coined  into 
sensational  reading  by  some  cheap  cub  reporter,  and  made 
to  serve  as  a  startliiig  headline  for  the  purpose  of  increas- 
ing the  paper  sales. 

What  did  this  ambitious  and  apparently  unscrupu- 
lous cub  reporter  care  for  the  misrepresentation  he  was 
spreading  broadcast,  and  sending  into  thousands  of  Ala- 
meda  County  homes? 


22  OUR    JOE 

What  did  he  care  for  the  effect  it  might  have  upon 
bereaved  and  loving  hearts?  upon  the  broken-hearted 
mother? 

It  made  sensational  reading!  Sensational  headlines 
sell !  And  that  is  apparently  all  that  concerns  a  modern, 
city  newspaper! 

What  reflects  even  more  upon  the  fairness  and 
honesty  of  the  "Tribune"  is  the  fact  that  this  misrepre- 
sentation was  printed  across  the  front  page,  in  bold  type, 
while  the  subsequent  correction  ivas  hidden  away  in  an 
obscure  part  of  the  paper,  almost  surrounded  with  De- 
partment Store  and  other  advertisements ! 

Why  were  not  the  facts  given  the  front  page  ? 

Simply  because  they  did  not  make  quite  such  sensa- 
tional reading! 

Doubtless  there  are  thousands  of  persons  around  the 
Bay  who  never  learned  the  fact  that  Joe  did  not  fire  a 
bullet  into  his  own  brain! 

The  facts,  substantially  set  forth  in  the  following, 
reproduced  from  the  "Tribune"  of  August  19,  and  cor- 
roborated by  the  testimony  of  twenty-nine  men  who  saw 
the  body,  and  of  the  Coroner's  Jury,  read : 

MUNDELL'S  DEATH  DUE  TO  ACCIDENT,  CLAIM 

SEARCHERS 

RIFLE  DISCHARGED  WHILE  LIGHTING  CIGARETTE,  KILLING  HIM, 
Is  OFFICIAL  THEORY 

That  Joe  Mundell  of  9.04  Brush  Street,  Oakland,  whose  body 
was  found  in  the  Mendocino  mountains  with  a  bullet  hole  in  the 
head,  accidentally  discharged  his  own  rifle  while  sitting  on  a  log 
rolling  a  cigarette,  was  the  conclusion  of  the  authorities  who  have 
been  investigating  the  case  at  the  request  of  S.  A.  Mundell,  the  lad's 
father,  who  returned  Thursday  from  Canada  with  Mrs.  Mundell. 

Mundell's  body  was  found  Wednesday  by  Dave  Boyd  of  Philo, 
member  of  a  hunting  party  of  three,  after  the  young  man  had  been 
missing  for  ten  days. 

W.  F.  Gannon  and  George  Vaselu  of  Oakland,  who  were 
despatched  to  the  scene  of  the  finding  of  the  body  immediately  after 
word  of  its  location  had  been  received  here,  returnd  to  Oakland 
today  with  the  father.  Gannon  and  Vaselu  were  the  first  of  a  party 
to  arrive  at  the  spot  after  the  body  had  been  found.  They  were  sent 
from  Oakland  by  Local  735  of  the  Carmen's  Union,  of  which  young 
Mundell  was  a  member.  His  father  is  general  chairman  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railway  Carmen  of  America. 


OUR   JOE  23 

DETAILS  OF  FINDING  BODY 

With  the  return  of  Gannon  and  Vaselu  comes  the  first  authentic 
details  of  the  circumstances  surrounding  Mundell's  death. 

The  body  was  located  about  one  and  one-half  miles  from  Whip- 
pie  camp,  on  the  Clow  range.  In  despatches  the  camp  was  referred 
to  as  Gwin's  camp.  Whipple  camp  is  about  seven  miles  east  of 
Philo. 

The  body  was  found  by  Boyd  after  searching  parties  had 
combed  the  mountains  for  ten  days.  Boyd's  dog  came  upon  it  and 
attracted  the  attention  of  his  master.  Boyd  remained  with  the  party 
while  the  others,  A.  E.  Guntley  and  John  Brown,  went  for  help. 

Circumstances  upon  which  the  authorities,  as  well  as  Mundell's 
father  and  others  have  based  the  theory  that  young  Mundell  acci- 
dentally shot  himself  and  that  he  was  not  lost,  are  these: 
ACCIDENTAL  DEATH 

The  body  was  lying  in  a  thick  entanglement  on  one  side  of  a 
high  log;  his  rifle,  a  30-30  Winchester,  containing  an  empty  shell,  on 
the  opposite  side,  showing  that  Mundell  was  sitting  on  the  log  when 
he  was  killed.  In  his  right  hand  he  held  a  can  of  tobacco,  and  in  his 
hip  pocket  a  pack  of  cigarette  papers  were  partly  pulled  out,  as 
though  he  had  first  secured  his  tobacco  and  was  in  the  act  of  reach- 
ing for  his  cigarette  papers  when  the  gun  was  dropped  from  be- 
tween his  knees,  the  hammer  striking  a  limb,  which  protruded  out 
from  the  high  log. 

It  is  the  theory  that  Mundell's  dog,  an  Airedale,  was  chasing 
a  wounded  deer  at  the  time,  and  that  Mundell  had  followed,  the  dog 
later  returning  to  the  body,  where  he  remained  for  three  days.  The 
dog's  nest,  or  bed,  was  found  within  a  few  inches  of  the  body. 
Driven  by  hunger,  it  is  believed  the  dog  later  returned  to  camp  for 
food.  When  he  endeavored  to  lead  a  party  back  to  the  body  he  lost 
his  own  trail  and  gave  up. 

No  DISTRESS  SIGNAL 

That  Mundll  did  not  fire  a  distress  signal  was  also  proved.  He 
had  with  him  eight  cartridges  the  morning  he  left  camp.  Two 
were  found  in  the  magazine,  an  empty  one  in  the  chamber  and  five 
loaded  cartridges  in  his  pocket.  He  also  had  $76  in  currency  in 
his  shirt  pocket. 

It  required  six  hours  to  carry  the  body  out  of  the  woods  to  the 
WhipDle  ranch,  so  dense  was  the  undergrowth.  The  party  of  30, 
working  in  relays,  left  the  scene  of  the  shooting  at  10:30  at  night 
an-}  rr ached  the  Whipple  ranch  at  3:30  o'clock  the  next  morning. 
The  coroner's  inquest  was  held  immediately  afterward. 

The  funeral  will  be  held  tomorrow  from  a  local  undertaking- 
parlor. 

The  reader  can  perhaps  imagine  the  agony  and  the 
suffering  which  I  endured  that  23d  day  of  August,  after 
I  had  read  those  sensational  stories  from  the  "Oakland 
Tribune."  It  was  not  until  the  next  day,  when  I  returned 


£4  OUR   JOE 

to  the  library,  and  from  the  Aug.  19  number,  read  the 
correct  account  of  the  tragedy;  that  I  knew  he  had  not 
committed  suicide,  and  that  he  had  not  experienced  all 
the  suffering  and  agony  which  would  have  been  involved 
in  being  lost  for  several  days,  and  in  slow  starvation,  ex- 
haustion, and  despair! 

I  quote  from  a  letter  written  to  my  wife  from  the 
hotel  in  Washington,  dated  Tuesday  evening,  Aug.  23, 
after  I  had  read  the  "Tribune"  of  August  18 : 

"At  the  library  I  read  the  files  of  all  the  California 
papers,  S.  F.  Chronicle,  S.  F.  Examiner,  Oakland  Tribune, 
Sacramento  Bee,  San  Jose  Mercury-Herald,  Los  Angeles 
Times,  and  the  Fresno  Republican,  covering  the  period 
from  the  8th  to  the  18th — from  the  time  of  Joe's  disap- 
pearance to  the  finding  of  the  body.  The  papers  were 
full  of  it — especially  the  Oakland  and  San  Francisco 
papers ! 

The  "Tribune"  had  out  an  Extra  about  the  finding  of 
the  body.  Oh,  my  God !  how  it  made  my  heart  ache. 

According  to  the  latest  Oakland  paper  (18th),  Joe 
must  have  been  lost  in  the  wilds  two  days  and  two  nights, 
and  was  starving,  thirsty,  utterly  exhausted,  and  in 
despair.  The  paper  hinted  that,  to  end  his  agony  and 
despair,  he  may  have  shot  himself!  Oh,  if  that  be  true, 
think  what  horrors  my  poor  brother  must  have  suffered ! 
Hungry,  weary,  heart-sick,  hopeless — he  may  have  pulled 
the  trigger  with  his  own  hand !  0,  my  poor,  dear  brother ! 
My  God !  I  fear  it  will  drive  me  mad ! 

The  Coroner's  Jury,  however,  rendered  the  ooinion 
that  the  rifle  was  accidentally  discharged,  possibly  by  his 
falling  over  a  log  which  was  found  near  the  body.  He 
was  found  lying  face  downward,  with  a  bullet  hole  just  to 
the  left  of  his  nose,  and  the  whole  back  of  his  head  torn 
away !" 

My  brother  had  been  lost  from  Sunday  morning  to 
the  following  Saturday,  before  my  parents  (who  were  still 
attending  the  Toronto  Convention)  were  notified.  My 
father  received  the  following  telegram  from  Mrs.  J.  H. 
Merckel : 


OUR   JOE  25 

"Joe  lost  in  mountains  since  Sunday.  Impossible  to 
find  him." 

Reader,  can  you  even  imagine  what  my  poor  mother 
suffered  from  the  time  this  wire  was  received  until,  sev- 
eral days  later,  when  on  the  train  en  route  to  Oakland, 
this  grief-laden  message  came: 

"Joe's  body  found.  Details  later.  (Signed)  D.  B. 
Huggins." 

My  own  grief  in  the  loss  of  a  dear,  true  brother  was 
almost  swallowed  up  in  anxiety  for  my  poor  mother! 
None  knew  better  than  I  how  dearly  she  loved  her  baby, 
and  none  knew  better  than  I  how  passionately  he  loved  his 
mother  in  return ! 

Joe  was  a  "Mother's  Boy"  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
and  he  was  never  ashamed  of  it !  Bior,  strong,  noble  fel- 
low that  he  was,  he  was  not  afraid  of  the  taunt,  "Tied  to 
Mother's  apron  strings." 

He  and  his  mother  were  unusually  intimate  in  their 
relations.  To  her  he  always  came  with  all  his  problems, 
disappointments,  joys,  and  sorrows.  She  was  to  him 
Comrade  and  Pal,  Mother  and  Sweetheart. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  months  before  the  re- 
moval of  my  parents  to  California,  when  my  brother  lived 
with  me,  he  was  never  away  from  home. 

He  loved  his  home!  He  rever  liked  to  be  away  from 
home,  even  for  a  night! 

He  often  went  out  with  his  mother,  escorting  her  to 
the  "movies."  and  he  always  seemed  to  enjoy  her  company 
even  more  than  the  company  of  younger  women. 

He  was  pathetically  proud  of  his  mother.  Proud  of 
her  youthful  aprearanee !  Happy  to  introduce  her  to  his 
friends,  and  to  say,  "This  is  my  mother." 

Reader,  do  you  think  any  the  less  of  him  for  that? 
Is  it  not  a  sign  of  character,  and  of  true  nobility,  for  a 
young  man,  strong  and  vital,  to  love  and  honor  his 
mother? 

I  recall  a  story  I  once  heard  from  the  lips  of  that 
great  Baptist  preacher,  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Truett,  of  Dallas, 
Texas. 


26  OUR    JOE 

Dr.  Truett  once  met  a  fine,  clean-cut  young  man, 
whose  employment  placed  him  in  a  most  unfavorable 
environment.  But  in  spite  of  temptations  galore,  the 
young  man  remained  loyal  and  true  to  the  principles  of 
true  manhood  and  morality.  Dr.  Truett  said  to  him  upon 
one  occasion : 

"Young  man,  tell  me,  what  is  it  that  makes  it  pos- 
sible for  you  to  live  such  a  clean  life,  in  the  midst  of  so 
many  temptations,  and  surrounded  by  so  many  unfavor- 
able conditions  ?" 

The  young  man  took  from  his  pocket  a  letter  from 
his  mother.  It  was  worn  and  faded,  and  almost  illegible. 
Dr.  Truett  took  the  letter  and  read  this  passage,  under- 
scored several  times :  "My  boy,  whenever  you  are  tempt- 
ed to  turn  from  the  way,  remember  whose  boy  you  are." 

"Dr.  Truett,"  said  this  young  man,  "I  always  remem- 
ber this  admonition  from  my  mother  whenever  I  am 
tempted  to  do  wrong,  and  it  supplies  me  with  the  grace 
and  courage  necessary  to  resist  evil.  I  say  to  myself :  'If 
you  do  not  make  good,  it  will  be  your  Mother's  son  that 
fails !  If  you  commit  sin,  it  will  be  your  Mother's  son  that 
commits  sin !'  And  that  has  been  my  inspiration  and  help 
in  my  travel  along  the  straight  and  narrow  way." 

The  above  applies  with  equal  force  to  my  dearly  be- 
loved brother !  Is  it  any  wonder  that  his  mother  didn't 
see  how  she  could  go  on  living  without  him?  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  she  wrote  in  a  letter  to  me : 

"God  only  knows  the  heartache,  the  Dain,  and  the 
suffering  that  I  endure.  Oh,  my  poor,  dear  boy !  If  there 
be  a  good  and  all-wise  God,  why  did  he  let  this  terrible 
thing  happen  to  me  ?  Why  did  he  take  from  me  my  dar- 
ling? And  he  loved  his  mother  so ! 

"I  know  poor  little  Joe  must  be  lonesome  'over  there,' 
without  his  mother.  It  seemed  that  I  was  always  so 
necessary  to  him!  Oh,  if  God  would  only  take  me,  too! 
I  can't  bear  to  think  of  the  long  years  which  may  be  before 
me  until  I  can  see  my  precious  boy !  Oh,  God.  I  how  can  I 
live  without  my  baby?" 


OUR    JOE  27 

Knowing  my  mother's  nature  and  disposition  as  I 
did,  I  realized  only  too  well  that  if  something  didn't  hap- 
pen to  prevent  it,  she  would  either  lose  her  reason  or 
grieve  herself  to  death. 

I  resolved  to  give  up  everything,  and  to  return  to 
California,  where  I  could  be  with  my  mother.  I  felt  that 
no  one  could  comfort  her  as  her  own  son,  and  the  brother 
of  the  loved  and  lost. 

Accordingly,  I  immediately  withdrew  my  candidacy 
for  the  pulpit  of  the  Baltimore  Church,  and,  returning 
to  Oklahoma  City,  closed  out  my  affairs  there. 

We  arrived  in  Oakland  on  Tuesday  morning,  Sep- 
tember 13. 

God  helping  me,  I  never  intend  to  leave  my  mother 
again  as  long  as  she  remains  with  us. 

Dear  friend,  whoever  you  are,  as  you  read  this  book, 
will  you  not  read  it  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  is 
written  ?  Remember  that  every  page  has  been  dictated  by 
love,  and  that  the  subject  is  one  of  perennial  human  in- 
terest. It  is  too  sacred  for  sneers  and  jeers,  or  scorn  and 
scoffing.  If  you  cannot  believe  what  follows,  you  can  at 
least  refrain  from  questioning  the  honesty  and  motive  of 
the  author. 

In  the  sacred  name  of  your  own  loved  and  lost,  I  ask 
you  this  one  small  favor:  Acceut  or  reiect  my  conclu- 
sions as  you  will,  please  do  not  take  them  in  vain ! 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  JOE  WE  KNEW 

The  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to  introduce  "Joe." 

I  want  every  reader  to  know  and  understand  him ! 

I  hope  to  do  him  justice,  and  no  more.  All  I  desire  is 
that  I  may  paint  a  picture  of  him  as  he  was — as  we  knew 
him !  I  want  to  make  the  picture  true — and  nothing  more ! 

Above  all,  I  shall  guard  against  idealizing  him!  He 
would  not  have  me  make  him'  otherwise  than  perfectly 
human. 


2*  OUR   JOE 

Joe  was  with  us  for  twenty-one  years.  Does  it  not 
seem  hard  that  a  young  man  should  be  so  suddenly  cut 
down,  at  the  mere  age  of  21  ? 

As  brothers,  we  were  not  a  great  deal  alike. 

We  did  not  bear  any  striking  resemblance  to  each 
other.  There  may  have  been,  and  perhaps  was,  a  slight 
family  resemblance,  but  nothing  more.  Seen  together,  we 
did  not  look  like  brothers. 

He  was  taller  than  Tby  about  three  and  one-half 
inches.  His  hair  and  eyes  were  darker  than  mine,  and  he 
was  "husky"  and  broad-shouldered,  while  I  was  not. 

I  have  always  been  a  "talker,"  and  a  lover  of  books. 

Joe  was  more  quiet.  As  a  rule,  he  preferred  to  be 
"seen  and  not  heard."  He  did  not  care  for  books,  and  his 
reading  was  confined  mostly  to  the  papers. 

I  have  always  been  intensely  interested  in  religion, 
politics,  and  philosophical  speculation. 

Joe  was  not.  True,  when  he  was  a  child,  he  made  a 
"profession  of  conversion,"  and  was  baptized  into  the 
Baptist  Church.  However,  he  was  not,  strictly  speaking, 
a  "religious,"  or  "church-going"  boy. 

During  the  four  or  five  years  of  his  life  preceding  the 
tragedy,  he  very  seldom  attended  church.  He  worked 
every  Sunday,  and  it  is  unlikely  he  would  have  gone  to 
church  if  he  had  been  off.  He  made  no  hypocritical  pro- 
fessions ;  he  did  not  claim  to  be  more  than  he  was. 

To  a  cousin  of  ours  he  once  said :  "I  wouldn't  mind 
being  a  Christian,  or  belonging  to  a  Church,  if  I  only  knew 
which  one  was  right;  but  there  are  so  many  different 
religions  a  fellow  doesn't  know  what  to  do.  I  do  not  want 
to  be  a  hypocrite." 

This  does  not  imply  that  he  was  in  any  way  antago- 
nistic or  opposed  to  the  Church.  He  was  not.  He  was 
never  ashamed  of  the  fact  that  his  brother  was  a  minis- 
ter. On  the  contrary,  he  was  glad. 

I  remember  I  was  out  of  the  ministry  for  a  period  of 
three  or  four  years,  and  when  I  became  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  Church  at  Jennings,  Oklahoma,  he  wrote 


OUR    JOE  29 

me  a  letter  telling  me  how  glad  he  was  that  I  was  back 
in  the  ministry,  and  that  he  wished  me  luck. 

He  honored  his  father  and  his  mother.  He  respected 
them  with  the  reverence  and  loyalty  of  a  true  and  faith- 
ful son. 

He  never  called  his  father  "the  old  man,"  nor  his 
mother  "the  old  woman."  He  was  too  much  of  a  man 
for  that! 

In  every  matter  involving  business  judgment,  he 
sought  his  father's  advice.  He  was  sensible  enough  to 
take  it.  Doubtless  this  contributed  in  a  large  measure  to 
his  pecuniary  success. 

And  what  shall  I  say  more  concerning  his  high  and 
holy  love  for  his  mother  ?  It  was  as  wide  as  the  expanse, 
as  deep  as  the  sea,  and  as  high  as  the  heavens ! 

He  was  the  noble  son  of  a  noble  mother. 

He  honored  and  respected  womankind! 

We  never  heard  him  pass  uncomplimentary  remarks 
about  any  woman,  no  matter  what  her  character.  We 
have  heard  him  defend  those  whom  others  called  "scarlet," 
and  express  sympathy  for  them,  instead  of  censure. 

He  was  modest.  He  never  boasted  of  his  financial 
achievement;  he  never  advertised  it.  The  fact  that  he 
had  accumulated  four  thousand  dollars  had  to  be  learned 
from  other  than  his  own  lips.  He  was  extremely  reticent 
in  this  respect.  He  was  never  inclined  to  brag  about  any- 
thing. 

He  was  truthful.  Many  times,  when  he  was  a  child, 
he  confessed  the  truth  when  he  knew  it  would  bring 
punishment.  My  parents  will  bear  me  out  in  the  state- 
ment that  when  Joe  was  a  child  he  never  told  a  lie  to 
escape  the  conseauences  of  any  disobedience.  Asked  out 
and  out  if  he  did  such  and  such  a  thing,  he  would  tell 
the  truth. 

He  was  honest.    He  was  generous. 

What  shall  I  sav  ™ore?  The  following  testimonials 
and  tributes  from  his  friends  and  fellow-workers  are  far 
more  eloquent  than  any  further  praise  which  I  might 
write : 


30  OUR   JOE 

FROM  HIS  UNCLE,  OSCAR  MUNDELL 
(In  a  letter  written  from  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  Sept.  6,  1921) 
"Well,   Sam,  how  is   Vernie  getting  along?     Believe   me,  my 
heart  went  out  to  poor  Vernie,  for  nobody  knows  any  more  than  I 
what  a   devoted  pal   and   loyal   son   Boy  Joe  was  to   dear  mama. 
And  if  all  mothers  were  like  her  there  would  be  more  loyal  sons. 
But  tell  her  to  be  brave,  for  she  has  one  more  dear  son  to  live  for 
and  advise.     Give  her  my  heartfelt  sympathy. 

Your  loving  brother, 

OSCAR." 

A  tribute  from  his  Brother  Charles,  written  to  his 
parents  from  Baltimore,  Md.  (This  will  indicate  what  I 
thought  of  him.) 

(COPY) 

(Letterhead  of  THE  COMMUNITY  CHURCH  of  Oklahoma  City, 
South  Walker  and  Maple  Streets,  Charles  S.  Mundell,  Minister.) 

Baltimore,  Md.,  August  20,  1921. 
My  poor,  dear,  heart-broken  parents : 

Like  a  bolt  of  lightning  from  a  clear  sky  came  the  telegram 
from  Mr.  Huggins  informing  me  of  the  tragic  and  untimely  death  of 
my  only — my  baby — brother.  Since  then  I  have  been  in  a  daze  of 
blinding  grief — unable  to  grasp  or  comprehend  the  overwhelming 
significance  of  the  terrible  fact.  Oh,  my  God,  it  is  impossible  for  me 
to  realize  that  Joe — Our  Joe — happy,  smiling,  good-natured  Joe,  has 
been  ushered  into  eternity  in  this  sudden,  violent  way!  Can  it  be 
that  I  have  no  brother  now?  That  I  am  the  only  one  left?  That 
my  own  and  only  brother — childhood  playmate — is  gone,  and  that  I 
shall  never  see  him  again?  Oh,  papa!  Oh,  mama!  I  was  so  proud 
of  my  brother  Joe.  I  was  so  proud  to  show  his  picture  to  my 
friends  and  to  tell  them  what  a  strong,  manly,  thrifty  boy  he  was! 
But  O,  my  dear  father  and  mother,  I  know  that  my  suffering  can 
be  nothing  compared  with  yours.  He  was  your  baby,  and  he  was 
always  at  home.  I  know  your  poor,  dear  hearts  are  broken  and 
bleeding,  and  I  wish  I  were  there  to  share  it  with  you.  It  Is  so 
hard  to  be  so  far  away,  like  this,  and  not  even  to  be  permitted  to 
weep  over  the  casket  containing  his  precious  body.  Oh,  God!  how  I 
wish  now  that  I  had  remained  at  home. 

Joe  was  a  good  boy — a  fine,  healthy,  clean,  human  fellow.  He 
was  loyal  to  his  friends  and  loved  ones,  and  his  tender,  reverent  love 
for  his  mothfr  was  as  beautiful  as  it  was  rare.  To  him  the  word 
"Mama"  was  a  symbol  of  all  that  is  good,  and  pure,  and  noble.  How 
often  I  remember  hearing  him  say,  "No  woman  can  ever  mean  to 
me  what  mama  has  meant."  He  truly  "honored  his  father  and  his 
mother,"  for  never  in  his  life  did  he  ever  express  to  me  any  word 
of  father  or  mother  that  was  not  a  word  of  honor  and  respect. 

His  love  for  his  mother  was  so  great  that  it  was  his  sword  and 
shield  in  temptation  and  the  inspiration  of  that  love  guided  his  foot- 
steps past  many  and  many  a  pitfall.  Whenever  he  was  assailed  by 


OUR   JOE  31 

temptation,  he  "remembered  whose  boy  he  was,"  and  he  saw  to  it 
that  "mama's  boy"  did  nothing  that  would  grieve  or  disappoint  his 
mother's  heart.  To  me  Joe's  passionate  and  holy  love  for  his  mother 
will  always  remain  my  sweetest  memory  of  him. 

Being  weary  of  the  monotony  and  grind  of  daily  toil,  this  young 
man  went  forth  to  breathe  the  mountain  air,  on  early  mornings 
when  the  dew  still  sparkled  upon  the  leaves  and  grass.  He  wanted 
to  fill  his  strong  lungs  with  the  sweet,  fragrant  air  of  the  mountains, 
and  to  roam  along  in  God's  great  out-of-doors  looking  for  game,  and 
to  enjoy  the  sport  of  kings.  He  was  manly  and  free,  in  love  with 
life,  with  every  nerve  and  sense  alive  with  the  joyous  thrill  of 
being.  His  sun  of  life  was  yet  young  in  the  sky,  for  he  died  "  'ere 
manhood's  morning  touches  noon  and  while  eager  waves  were  kissing 
every  sail."  Without  warning,  and  without  desire,  he  was  suddenly 
caught  in  the  embrace  of  death,  and  by  spirit  hands  his  eyes  were 
closed  in  dreamless  sleep,  and  his  generous,  noble  soul  was  carried 
over  to  that  other  realm  of  life.  But,  mother  dear,  father  dear, 
our  Joe  Lives!  Somewhere,  on  some  plane,  it  will  be  made  up  to 
him  what  he  has  been  robbed  of  here.  For  if  he  does  not  live,  then 
there  is  no  reason  or  justice  in  the  universe.  If  there  is  a  better 
world,  and  my  brother  isn't  in  it,  /  don't  want  it  either!  No  God 
could  afford  to  lose  a  soul  like  Joe's!  Therefore,  Joe  is  as  real  to 
me  now  as  he  ever  was,  and  I  know  that  Sometime,  Somewhere,  we 
shall  meet  him  again,  and  that  then  we'll  understand! 

Papa,  Mama,  Charlie's  and  Margie's  love  are  all  you've  got  left 
now.  We  must  help  you  bear  this  irreparable  loss.  Therefore,  dear 
ones,  if  you  feel  that  you  need  us  at  home,  we  will  give  up  every- 
thing else  and  come  home,  to  share  your  sorrow  and  loss  as  much  as 
is  humanly  possible.  Our  first  duty  is  to  our  companions  in  grief — 
to  our  bereaved  father  and  mother! 

I  don't  doubt  but  that  I  could  eventually  find  a  church  some- 
where in  the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco  Bav.  I  would  like  to  be  at 
home  in  this  awful  time,  for  this  tragedy  is  one  that  we  will  never, 
never  get  over,  or  forget. 

Only  Divine  Love  and  Grace  can  avail  us  now. 

Your  heart-broken  son, 

CHARLIE. 

P.  S.  Write  or  wire  3241  Elliott  St.,  Baltimore,  Ind.,  unless 
you  hear  from  me  to  the  contrary. — C. 

In  a  letter  to  me,  describing  the  funeral,  which  was 
held  at  the  home  on  Saturday,  August  20,  my  mother 
wrote : 

"We  never  knew  our  darling  had  so  many  friends.  They  sent  so 
many  floral  offerings  that  his  casket  and  grave  were  completely  hid. 
We  also  received  many  letters  and  notes  of  sympathy  and  con- 
dolence from  his  friends  and  ours.  Under  separate  cover*  I  am  send- 
ing you  two  photographs  of  the  funeral." 


OUR   JOE 


JOE- 1920 

JOE 
By  Robert  Whitaker 

We  knew  him  as  a  gentle  boy 

Intent  on  doing  well, 

Who  thought  hard  on  his  day's  employ, 
Nor  much  on  heaven  and  hell. 


OUR   JOE  SS 


He  was  so  young,  so  fresh  and  fair 

He  seemed  not  to  belong 
To  the  world's  wretchedness  and  care, 

The  bitter  strife  with  wrong. 

His  mother's  boy,  he  dwelt  at  home, 

And  home  love  dwelt  in  him; 
He  sought  not  in  far  lands  to  roam, 

Nor  danced  at  pleasure's  whim. 

His  was  the  love  of  simple  ways, 

Of  kindly,  homely  joys; 
And  so  he  kept  him  from  the  maze 

Of  Folly's  glare  and  noise. 

And  yet  he  thrilled  to  open  fields, 

And  answered  to  the  wild, 
As  every  healthy  human  yields 

Himself  as  Nature's  child. 

And  so  upon  the  mountain's  breast, 

Far  from  the  fevered  town, 
Close  to  the  heart  of  Nature  pressed 

He  slept,  and  cuddled  down. 

Nay,  but  he  waked,  as  never  yet! 

And  marvelled  much  to  find 
That  somehow,  strangely,  he  had  met 

Those  who  were  of  his  kind. 

The  loved  whom  he  had  never  known 

Except  as  household  names; 
Who  welcomed  him  with  loving  tone 

And   unexpected   claims. 

Long  had  he  thought  of  them  as  dead, 

Yet  now,  more  quick  than  he, 
They  smoothed  his  hands,  and  held  his  head 

And  smiling,  tenderly. 

They  led  him  gently  to  the  truth 
That  he  had  passed  from  earth, 

And  his  was  now  the  timeless  youth 
Of   a   diviner  birth. 

A  birth,  but  not  forgetfulness, 

As  with  our  new  born  here; 
Rather  a  deeper  tenderness 

Toward  all  whom  earth  made  dear. 

So  deep  in  him,  so  very  strong, 

Beyond  the  strength  of  death, 
He  bore  these  earlier-born  along, 

As  with  a  whirl-wind's  breath. 


SJf  OUR   JOE 

And  down  the  mystic  void  between 

That  other  world  and  ours, 
They  spoke  from  out  of  the  unseen, 

And  their  united  powers 

Pushed  back  our  clouds  of  ignorance 

As  fog-drifts  flee  the  sun, 
And  levelled  every  difference 

To  prove  that  love  is  one. 

What  though  the  fog-drifts  come  again, 

And  barriers  rise  anew? 
Death  never-more  can  be  as  when 

Their  words  first  trembled  through. 

So  little  yet  our  ears  can  guess 

Of  what  our  hearts  would  know, 
We  hardly  venture  to  confess 

That  we  have  heard  from  Joe. 

We  doubt  in  spite  of  every  proof 

That  filters  through  the  veil; 
And  still  we  hold  fair  Faith  aloft 

When  our  crude  testings  fail. 

But  not  in  vain  our  loved  ones  yon 

Break  through  the  mystic  screen, 
And  signal  us  whence  they  have  gone 

Into  that  vast  unseen. 

Columbus-like  we  hardly  dare 

The  flotsam's  urge  believe; 
Though  birds  are  singing  in  the  air, 

We  doubt,  and  fear,  and  grieve. 

But  morning  comes,  the  land  appears, 

Our  day,  our  day  shall  see 
The  long,  long  mystery  of  the  years 

Dissolved  in  certainty. 

Written    in    San    Francisco,    California,    Sunday 
morning   (Christmas)    December  25,  1921. 

THE  COMMUNITY  CHURCH      New  York  City 

Office  of  the  Minister,  61  East  34th  Street. 
Dear  Mr.  Mundell:  October  17th,  1921. 

Mr.  Whitaker  has  just  written  me  of  the  tragic  death  of  your 
brother.  I  am  inexpressibly  distressed  to  hear  this  news  and  to 
realize  the  affliction  that  it  brings  to  you  and  your  mother.  Words 
seem  to  fail  completely  when  they  are  challenged  to  meet  a  situation 
of  this  kind,  so  I  am  not  going  to  try  to  offer  you  consolation,  but 
just  ask  you  to  know  how  deeply  grieved  I  am  for  you  all.  I  mourn 


OUR   JOE  35 


particularly  for  your  mother,  but  am  glad  for  her  that  you  are 
with  her. 

I  suppose  that  your  future  is  uncertain.  Is  there  no  possibility 
of  your  getting  back  to  Oklahoma  and  taking  up  the  work  there 
again  in  your  Community  Church?  There  is  no  church  in  the 
country  of  which  I  have  cherished  higher  hopes  or  which  has  given 
me  greater  encouragement  in  my  work  here.  Let  me  hear  from 
you  if  you  have  opportunity  to  write. 
With  renewed  sympathy,  I  remain 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

JOHN  HAYNES  HOLMES. 

Mr.  Charles  Mundell,  care  Rev.  Robert  Whitaker, 
1025  East  31st  Street,  Oakland,  Calif. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  PROBLEM  OF  PAIN  AND  EVIL 

The  phenomena  of  pain  and  evil,  in  a  Universe  sup- 
posedly governed  by  the  will  of  a  benevolent  Deity,  con- 
stitutes one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  of  modern 
theology. 

If  God  is  good,  and  all-powerful,  why  does  he  permit, 
in  his  Universe,  such  phenomena  as  cyclones,  tornadoes, 
floods,  earthquakes,  famines,  pestilences,  volcanoes,  and 
blizzards?  Does  he  not  know  that  all  these  things  bring 
destruction,  suffering,  and  death  in  their  wake?  That 
they  render  his  children  helpless,  homeless,  and  broken- 
hearted? That  they  make  widows,  orphans,  and  grief- 
stricken  loved  ones  ? 

If  He  does  not  know  these  things,  then  He  cannot  be 
God,  for  a  God  limited  in  understanding  and  knowledge  is 
unthinkable.  We  could  not  worship  such  a  God.  Our 
most  consoling  thought  in  time  of  trouble  or  distress  is 
that  God  knows  best.  To  be  God,  in  the  very  nature  of 
the  case,  God  must  be  Omniscient ! 

Then  if  God  knows  these  things,  and  still  permits 
them,  we  are  up  against  this  problem :  If  God  is  able  to 
prevent  these  things,  and  does  not,  is  He  Good?  If  he 
would,  and  cannot,  he  is  not  Omnipotent.  If  God  is  not 
Ail-Powerful,  then  Nature  is  greater  than  God!  In  fact, 
if  God  is  not  all-powerful,  how  can  we  be  expected  to 


36  OUR   JOE 

reverence  Him  as  God?  If  He  is  God,  then  he  must  be 
omnipotent! 

If  God  is  benevolent,  and  loves  us,  and  can  prevent 
these  awful  calamities,  why  doesn't  He  ? 

Would  not  human  fathers  anticipate  and  prevent  such 
suffering  and  distress  on  the  part  of  their  children,  if  they 
had  the  power?  Of  course  they  would.  And  yet,  in 
nature,  we  see  some  terrible  things ! 

It  is  easy  enough  to  thoughtlessly  sing,  "Praise  God 
from  whom  all  blessings  flow,"  and  to  testify  of  His  good- 
ness in  giving  us  sunshine,  and  rain,  and  harvest,  and 
grain ! 

It  is  easy  enough  to  write  poems  about  God's  good- 
ness in  storing  the  earth  with  coal,  and  oil,  and  iron,  and 
tin,  and  gold,  and  silver,  and  bronze !  It  is  easy  enough 
to  grow  eloquent  about  the  flowers  that  bloom,  and  the 
birds  that  sing,  and  the  grass  that  grows,  and  the  brooks 
that  babble,  and  the  streams  that  ripple — but — what  about 
the  lightning  that  rends,  and  the  hail  that  beats,  and  the 
tornado  that  sweeps  everything  in  its  path,  and  the  earth- 
quake that  opens  its  yawning  jaws  and  swallows  a  whole 
city,  or  the  volcano  that  vomits  liquid  fire  and  burning 
lava  upon  sleeping  towns  and  villages?  What  about  the 
angry  floods  which  sweep  down  upon  innocent  and  trust- 
ing populations,  sweeping  away  homes,  and  wives,  and 
children,  and  husbands,  and  fathers,  and  mothers  ?  What 
about  the  great  ocean  storms  which  have  dealt  death  and 
destruction  to  thousands  and  thousands  of  peaceful  ships  ? 
What  about  the  northern  blizzards  which  isolate  and 
freeze  and  starve  thousands  of  souls  to  death  ? 

Why  do  we  have  to  contend  with  such  pests  and  de- 
structive agencies  as  flies,  mosquitoes,  grasshoppers, 
worms,  disease-germs,  etc.  ? 

Can  we  call  a  world  so  full  of  tragedy,  suffering,  and 
death  a  good  world?  If  you  were  God,  would  you  have 
filled  the  Universe  with  so  much  pain  and  strife  ? 

The  path  of  organic  evolution  is  strewn  with  the 
bones  and  bodies  of  millions  of  innocent  victims  in  the 


OUR   JOE  37 

fierce  struggle  for  existence.  Big  fish  eat  little  fish ;  lions, 
tigers,  leopards,  wolves,  and  other  carnivora  rend  and  tear 
sentient,  nervous  creatures,  and  then  devour  them  for 
food.  , 

Why  could  not  all  this  have  been  arranged  dif- 
ferently? 

Don't  you  think,  if  you  were  going  to  create  a  world, 
you  would  have  created  it  different? 

Oh  love,  could  you  and  I  with  him  conspire 

To  change  this  sorry  scheme  of  things  entire, 
Would  we  not  shatter  it  to  bits  and  then 
Rebuild  it  nearer  to  the  heart's  desire? 

— Omar  Khayam. 

If  God  created  this  earth  for  us,  and  if  he  wants  us 
to  be  secure  and  happy  in  it,  then  why  are  there  so  many 
destructive  agencies  at  work  in  nature  which  imperil  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  human  beings  ? 

Among  the  thousands  of  catastrophies  in  recent  times 
we  need  only  to  recall  the  San  Francisco  and  Italian  earth- 
quakes, the  Galveston,  Pueblo,  and  Arkansas  floods,  the 
Texas  cyclones,  and  innumerable  other  tragedies  too  hor- 
rible to  describe. 

Sometimes  it  seems  that  Nature's  forces  must  be 
blind,  and  that  they  operate  entirely  without  any  consid- 
eration for  the  welfare  of  the  sentient,  suffering  creatures 
of  this  planet. 

Such  phenomena  as  these  caused  Epicurus,  the  Grecian 
philosopher,  to  exclaim,  "There  may  be  gods,  but  they  cer- 
tainly pay  no  attention  to  the  affairs  of  men." 

These  destructive  forces  of  nature  have  destroyed 
millions  and  millions  of  lives  during  the  long,  suffering 
ages  of  the  life-process  upon  the  planet  earth.  They  have 
inflicted  terrible,  and  almost  universal  pain  and  misery. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  sing,  "Be  not  dismayed,  what 
e'er  betide,  God  will  take  care  of  you,"  and,  "All  you  may 
need  He  will  provide,"  but  what  about  the  all-too-familiar 
fact  that  during  famines,  drouths,  and  pestilence,  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  human  beings  die,  in  the  most 
agonizing  and  cruel  way,  of  hunger,  thirst,  and  disease? 

Think  of  the  unparalleled  suffering  now  going  on  in 


38  OUR    JOE 

Russia,  China,  and  the  Near  East,  from  hunger,  disease, 
and  over- work! 

Then,  in  addition  to  all  this  natural  tragedy,  think  of 
God's  creating  a  race  of.  human  beings  so  capable  of  in- 
flicting pain  and  misery  upon  each  other,  as  the  human 
race  has  done ! 

Think  of  all  the  hundreds  and  thousands  of  cruel 
wars  which  man  has  waged  since  his  emergence  from  the 
estate  of  savagery. 

Think  of  the  agony,  and  the  pain,  and  the  suffering, 
caused  by  human  beings,  and  then  say  that  man  is  good ! 

The  above  are  some  of  the  arguments  advanced  by 
the  philosophical  pessimist,  to  prove  that  this  is  the  worst 
of  all  possible  worlds,  and  that  there  is  no  evidence  any- 
where in  nature  for  the  idea  of  an  Omnipotent,  Omni- 
scient, or  Omnipresent  God!  There  is  no  evidence  any- 
where of  intelligence,  benevolence,  or  design !  All  nature 
seems  a  tragic  accident — at  least  so  far  as  the  evolution 
of  life  is  concerned. 

Our  fathers  used  to  account  for  the  fact  of  sin  and 
evil  by  blaming  everything  except  good  upon  a  personal 
devil.  They  said,  "God  is  good !  The  devil  is  bad !  All 
good  and  perfect  gifts  come  from  God !  All  pain,  and  evil, 
and  sin,  and  suffering,  are  caused  by  the  devil !  But  some 
day  God  will  kill  the  devil,  and  then  there  will  be  no  more 
pain  and  evil  throughout  the  whole  Universe.'* 

This  explanation  of  our  fathers  can  no  longer  sat- 
isfy us. 

The  very  idea  of  a  personal  devil,  to  the  modern  mind, 
is  grotesque  and  impossible.  For,  if  there  be,  indeed,  such 
a  gentleman  as  the  devil,  our  problem  is  no  nearer  solu- 
tion, for,  who  created  the  devil?  If  he  was  never  created, 
then  he  is  not  a  devil — he  is  a  god! 

If  he  was  created,  God  must  have  been  the  author  of 
his  existence !  If  God  didn't  know,  when  He  created  this 
devil,  that  he  was  going  to  turn  out  to  be  a  devil,  then  God 
is  not  all-wise !  He  doesn't  know  everything!  And,  as  we 
said  before,  if  He  does  not  know  everythng,  how  can  He 
be  God  ?  Can  we  conceive  of  a  God  limited  in  knowledge 
and  understanding? 


OUR   JOE  39 

If  God  did  know,  when  he  created  this  devil,  that  he 
was  going  to  turn  out  a  devil,  and  still  created  him,  is  not 
God  indirectly  responsible  for  all  the  evil,  pain,  and  sin, 
which  is  caused  by  the  devil? 

,     If  the  devil  be  a  fallen  angel,  and  an  outlaw,  as  some 
think,  then  why  does  a  good  God  permit  him  to  be  at  large? 

What  would  we  think  of  a  Police  Force  which  per- 
mitted a  bad  and  dangerous  criminal  to  roam  at  large, 
when  that  force  could  put  a  stop  to  his  depredations,  and 
wont?  Would  we  consider  such  a  force  a  good  force? 

Then  if  God  is  all-powerful — more  powerful  than  the 
devil — why  does  He  not  arrest  this  arch-criminal,  and 
either  kill  him,  or  confine  him  to  some  corner  of  the  Uni- 
verse where  he  can  do  no  more  harm  ? 

If  we  are  God's  children,  and  God  can  protect  us  from 
the  evil  and  the  suffering  caused  by  this  devil,  why 
doesn't  he? 

Someone  may  reply,  "But  all  this  suffering  and  pain 
in  the  world  is  the  result  of  sin — of  the  sin  of  Adam  and 
Eve  in  the  Garden  of  Eden !  Had  it  not  been  for  the  dis- 
obedience of  our  first  parents  there  would  never  have  been 
any  death,  pain,  or  evil !" 

In  the  first  place,  let  me  say  that  the  Garden  of  Eden 
story  can  no  longer,  by  any  possibility,  be  regarded  as  an 
historical  incident.  Man  has  lived  upon  the  earth  at  least 
a  hundred  thousand  years,  and  perhaps  a  half  a  million. 
Sickness,  pain,  and  death  were  known  among  men  and 
animals  thousands  of  years  before  the  tale  of  the  Garden 
of  Eden  was  ever  invented. 

Furthermore,  even  granting  that  man's  sin  was  re- 
sponsible for  pain  and  death  among  human  beings,  why 
should  the  same  evil  befall  the  innocent  animals?  They 
suffer  and  die,  the  same  as  do  human  beings. 

From  the  standpoint  of  justice,  does  it  seem  right  or 
just  that  God  should  punish  the  whole  human  race,  involv- 
ing billions  of  human  souls,  for  the  petty  offense  of  our 
first  parents  ?  Wouldn't  it  have  been  better  to  have  wiped 
Adam  and  Eve  off  the  slate  altogether,  and  to  have  com- 
menced all  over  again? 


40  OUR   JOE 

After  all,  the  so-called  original  sin  consisted  of  an 
extremely  trivial  offense!  To  punish  billions  of  human 
beings  for  such  a  petty  transgression  seems  nothing  short 
of  monstrous.  Can  we  call  a  God  good  who  would  exact 
such  a  penalty  ? 

Why  should  the  innocent  posterity  of  Adam  suffer  for 
his  sin?  Do  you  think  it  is  just  to  punish  children  for 
the  crimes  of  their  parents?  No  human  court  of  law 
would  make  such  a  ruling!  Is  God  less  just  than  man? 

Didn't  God  place  temptation  right  before  the  innocent 
man  and  woman  ?  Was  not  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil  set  right  in  the  midst  of  the  trees  of  the 
garden?  So  situated  that  they  could  see  it  from  every 
angle? 

It  is  human  nature  to  delve  into  the  mysterious.  You 
tell  a  child  not  to  get  into  the  jam,  and  leave  the  jam 
where  he  can  easily  get  hold  of  it,  and  he  wouldn't  be 
human  if  he  didn't  get  into  the  jam!  When  God  mysteri- 
ously forbade  their  eating  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil,  without  any  explanation  as  to  the  why  and 
wherefore,  he  made  it  next  to  impossible  for  them  to 
resist  the  compulsion  of  their  own  curiosity. 

Furthermore,  the  "fall"  of  Adam  and  Eve  cannot 
account  for  the  apparent  viciousness  of  the  forces  of 
nature,  as  manifested  in  terrific  storms,  cyclones,  tor- 
nadoes, earthquakes,  volcanoes,  and  floods,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  these  phenomena  are  not  confined  to  the  earth 
alone.  Tremendous  explosions  are  observable  upon  the 
surface  of  the  sun.  The  moon  has  been  reduced  to  utter 
ruin  and  desolation  by  the  force  of  frequent  volcanic  erup- 
tions of  amazing  magnitude,  and  by  the  rain  of  meteoric 
stones  upon  its  unprotected  surface. 

Snow  storms,  blizzards,  cyclones,  and  floods  doubt- 
less occur  upon  the  planet  Mars. 

Many  of  the  other  planets  suffer  violent  internal 
explosions,  volcanoes,  and  earthquakes. 

Can  it  be  possible  that  the  whole  Universe  was  ren- 
dered terrible  because  Adam  and  Eve  ate  of  a  forbidden 
fruit? 


OUR   JOE  41 

Even  worse  than  any  of  the  tragedies  we  have  men- 
tioned above  is  the  prophecy  of  science  that  some  day  our 
blazing  sun  will  burn  out,  and  will  cease  to  radiate  heat 
and  light  for  the  support  of  the  myriads  of  forms  of  life 
upon  this  and  other  possible  worlds !  Then  darkness  will 
envelop  the  vastness  of  our  solar  system,  and  our  labors, 
sufferings,  and  sacrifices  will  all  come  to  naught.  Scien- 
tists tell  us  that,  this  catastrophe  will  not  occur  for  two  or 
three  million  years — but  that  it  is  nevertheless,  inevitable! 
What  are  we  to  say  in  answer  to  these  arguments  of 
the  school  of  philosophic  pessimism  ?  Do  they  prove  that, 
in  the  light  of  the  facts  of  nature,  it  is  impossible  to  be- 
lieve in  the  existence  of  a  benevolent  Deity,  and  that  all 
existence  is,  therefore,  a  curse  and  a  tragedy?  Shall  we 
agree  with  him  that  we  are  but  the  jokes  of  blind,  unrea- 
soning natural  forces,  or  is  there  a  satisfying  solution  of 
this  tremendous  problem  of  pain  and  evil?  If  the  pessi- 
mist be  right,  then  life  is  indeed  not  worth  the  living,  and 
it  would  be  better  if  some  wandering  comet  should  sud- 
denly strike  the  planet  earth,  and  plunge  everything  of 
consciousness  and  intelligence  into  the  forgetfulness  of 
utter  oblivion ! 

Is  there  no  alternative  conclusion  to  this  despairing 
pessimism?  Is  there  no  intelligence,  goodness,  or  hope 
in  the  Universe? 

In  presenting  the  following  I  do  not  claim  to  have 
solved  all  the  perplexing  and  baffling  questions  involved  in 
this  tremendous  problem.    Were  I  able  to  solve  without 
difficulty  this  eternal  enigma,  I  would  be  possessed  of 
greater  intelligence  than  anyone  else  who  has  ever  lived. 
This  problem  of  pain  and  evil  was  the  same  problem 
which  Job  wrestled  with,  thousands  of  years  ago.     The 
greatest  thinkers  of  all  the  ages  have  tried  to  penetrate 
the  veil  of  mystery  which  covers  the  face  of  this  "riddle 
of  the  sphinx."    Socrates,  Plato,  Aristotle,  Seneca,  Epic- 
tetus,  Epicurus,  Augustine,  Marcus  Aurelius,  Kant,  Hegel, 
Spencer,  Martineau,  and  hosts  of  other  brilliant  philoso- 
phers have  attacked  this  problem — and  all  they  have  been 
able  to  offer  have  been  suggestions,  out  of  which  we  might 


42  OUR   JOE 

individually  build  our  own  solution  of  the  problem  of 
pain  and  evil. 

However,  it  is  possible  I  may  be  able  to  offer  some 
argument  why  we  should  not  despair,  and  perhaps  I  may 
be  able  even  to  help  you  in  laying  hold  of  a  satisfying  faith 
which  will  carry  you  through  the  maze  of  these  soul- 
stirring  questions. 

In  the  first  place,  I  shall  assume  that  we  all  want  to 
believe  in  God!  Atheism  is  an  unattractive  and  disap- 
pointing philosophy !  It  serves  to  stifle  hope,  and  to  create 
despair. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  not  a  question  of  what  we  would 
prefer  to  believe — it  is  a  question  of  what  is  true! 

We  would  all  rather  believe  that  life  persists  after 
death,  and  that  we  shall  meet  our  loved  ones  again.  But 
the  question  is,  is  it  true? 

It  is  the  aim  of  philosophy  to  find  out  the  Truth  of 
everything,  regardless  of  the  effect  which  fact  may  have 
upon  the  hopes  and  desires  of  human  beings!  And  for 
my  part,  I  want  to  know  the  Truth,  whether  it  may  be 
pleasant  or  unpleasant.  I  agree  with  Robert  G.  Ingersoll 
when  he  says  in  his  last  poem,  written  shortly  before  his 
death : 

We  have  no  falsehoods  to  defend, 

We  wants  the  Facts! 
Our  force,  our  thought,  we  do  not  spend, 

In  vain  attacks. 
And  we  will  never  meanly  try 
To  save  some  fair,  and  pleasing,  lie ! 

The  simple  Truth  is  what  we  ask — 

Not  the  Ideal! 
We've  set  ourselves  the  noble  task, 

To  find  the  Real! 

If  all  there  is,  is  naught  but  dross — 
We  want  to  know,  and  bear  our  loss ! 

We  will  not  willingly  be  fooled 

By  fables  nursed; 
Our  hearts,  by  earnest  thought  are  schooled, 

To  bear  the  worst! 
And  we  can  stand  erect  and  dare — 
All  things— all  facts— that  REALLY  ARE! 


OUR   JOE  J+3 

In  the  very  beginning  of  our  attempt  to  throw  light 
upon  this  problem,  let  us  frankly  admit  that  this  is  not  a 
perfect  Universe!  What  we  shall  endeavor  to  prove  is 
that  it  is  the  Best  Possible  Universe,  everything  taken 
into  consideration,  and  viewed  from  the  summit  of 
ultimate  ends! 

Of  course,  since  evolution  has  won  the  right  to  be 
regarded  as  an  established  fact  of  modern  science,  our 
arguments  will  proceed  frankly  from  the  evolutionary 
point  of  view. 

The  Universe  is  governed  by  law!  From  the  most 
stupendous  world  out  in  space,  to  the  infinitesimal  germ 
of  life,  Law  reigns!  All  phenomena  occur  in  obedience 
to  inexorable,  inviolable,  Natural  Law! 

Whatever  phenomena  may  occur  in  apparent  viola- 
tion of  natural  law,  must  be  explained  on  the  hypothesis 
of  some  unknown,  or  undiscovered,  law. 

The  question  is,  which  would  be  better  for  us,  in  the 
long  run,  to  live  in  an  orderly,  smoothly -running  Universe, 
governed  by  law,  or  in  a  Universe  subject  to  the  arbitrary 
whim  of  a  fickle  God?  If  God  were  always  "butting  in" 
and  interfering  with  the  orderly  processes  of  nature,  the 
universe  would  no  longer  be  a  cosmos  governed  by  Uni- 
versal Law,  but  the  plaything  of  an  irresponsible  deity! 
There  can  be  no  place  for  Miracle  in  a  Law-governed  Uni- 
verse,, for  every  effect  must  be  the  result  of  an  antecedent 
cause,  and  there  can  be  no  effect  without  a  cause,  and  no 
cause  without  an  effect!  Hence,  every  fact  fits  into  every 
other  fact  in  the  universe,  and  that  is  how  we  can  know 
that  it  is  a  fact!  Only  a  falsehood  needs  the  support  of 
a  miracle,  for  a  miracle  would  mean  the  suspension  of  a 
natural  law,  and  the  suspension  of  a  single  law  of  nature 
would  mean  the  upsetting  of  the  whole  order  of  the  Uni- 
verse! It  would  mean  chaos,  confusion,  and  illimitable 
disorder ! 

Before  we  can  decide  whether  this  is  a  good  world, 
or  a  bad  world,  we  must  take  into  consideration  the  work- 
ings of  natural  law,  as  a  whole.  We  must  have  the  right 
perspective,  and  this  perspective  must  be  the  perspective 


44  OUR   JOE 

of  Ultimate  Ends,  and  not  of  Immediate  Incidents!  The 
end  justifies  the  means,  provided,  first,  that  there  be  In- 
finite  Wisdom  back  of  the  means,  and  second,  that  the  end 
is  sufficiently  Wholesome  and  Good.  "Wisdom  is  justified 
of  her  children." 

Now  the  justification  of  Evolution,  and  of  the  Evo- 
lutionary Process,  or  Method  is  this:  that  through  mil- 
lions of  years,  and  through  countless  variations,  and 
through  untold  suffering,  pain,  and  tragedy  on  the  part 
of  millions  of  these  variations  of  life,  Evolution  was  at 
work  evolving  Human  Personality.  All  the  experiences, 
all  the  agony,  and  all  the  tragedy  were  necessary  for  the 
complete  development  of  Human  Consciousness. 

We  are  the  creatures,  not  only  of  present  environ- 
ment, but  of  environments  reaching  back  millions  of  years. 
Into  our  innermost  souls  has  been  poured  all  the  infinite 
experiences  of  the  race. 

Embryology  shows  how  every  single  individual  passes 
through  all  the  physical  variations  in  its  own  evolution 
which  the  race  has  passed  through  in  the  uncounted  mil- 
leniums  of  the  past.  We  all  begin  as  a  single  cell,  and  we 
pass  through  the  stages  of  fish,  reptile,  mammal — and  all 
the  stages  which  the  race  has  passed  through.  Thus 
embryology  gives  us  a  sort  of  recapitulation  argument  for 
evolution. 

Man  is  the  summit  and  crown  of  the  evolutionary 
process.  In  him  physical  evolution  reaches  its  culmina- 
tion, and  the  course  of  evolution  changes  from  the  physical 
to  the  mental  and  spiritual. 

Can  we  deny  that  Man,  with  his  wonderful  Mind,  and 
his  capacity  for  achievement,  justifies  the  process  which 
nature  has  used  to  evolve  him? 

Man  is  as  yet  unfinished  and  incomplete,  but  he  is 
wonderful,  nevertheless. 

The  fundamental  difference  between  Man  and  the 
other  animals  is  this :  no  other  animal,  save  man,  has  the 
capacity  to  rise  above,  and  to  modify,  his  environment. 
Not  by  strength,  but  by  Thought,  has  man  become  the 
master  of  the  brute  creation.  He  has  turned  waste  places 


OUR   JOE  45 

into  vineyards,  deserts  into  Edens ;  he  has  bridged  chasms, 
changed  the  course  of  rivers,  constructed  huge  canals, 
giant  skyscrapers,  erected  mammoth  factories,  and  in- 
vented telescopes  through  which  to  read  the  stars.  He 
has  produced  music,  poetry,  art,  drama,  and  religion. 

As  declared  above,  with  man  the  course  of  evolution 
changes  from  the  physical  to  the  psychical,  and  from  the 
material  to  the  spiritual.  God  is  now  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness of  evolving  Souls!  His  ultimate  end,  so  far  as  we 
can  glimpse  it  from  the  workings  of  evolution,  is  the  evo- 
lution of  Character.  And  it  is  in  this  light  that  we  can 
arrive  at  a  satisfying  solution  of  the  tremendous  problem 
of  pain  and  evil. 

In  a  Universe  wholly  free  from  pain  and  evil,  can 
you  conceive  of  the  development  of  such  noble  virtues  as 
Pity,  Sympathy,  Compassion,  Generosity,  Benevolence, 
Kindness,  Courage,  Charity,  Self -Control,  or  Altruism? 

Can  you  conceive  of  a  race  which  has  never  known 
pain,  and  sorrow,  and  grief,  and  death?  Could  such  a 
race  ever  produce  music,  art,  literature,  drama,  or  re- 
ligion? All  these  noble  arts  are  but  the  expression  of 
Life,  as  it  suffers,  sorrows,  rejoices,  hopes,  sings,  sobs, 
and  prays.  It  is  through  pain  and  suffering  that  the  high- 
est types  of  character  are  evolved. 

It  is  here  that  we  arrive  at  our  strongest  argument  in 
favor  of  the  hope  of  eternal  life.  It  is  evident  that  God 
has  a  glorious  destiny  for  us,  sometime,  somewhere.  He 
is  working  toward  some  sure,  and  definite,  end. 

If  Character  be  the  flower  and  fruit  of  the  evolu- 
tionary process,  and  if  all  the  millions  of  years  of  suffer- 
ing and  pain  were  borne  for  this  purpose,  is  it  reasonable 
to  believe  that  all  this  work  is  to  perish  and  come  to 
naught,  in  the  grave? 

The  idea  of  Immortality  is  essential  to  the  Reason- 
ableness and  Justice  of  the  Universe.  Without  it,  the 
whole  creation  becomes  a  cruel  joke  and  a  mockery,  and 
instead  of  the  logical  result  of  Law,  and  of  Order,  we  get 
confusion,  chaos,  folly,  and  despair. 


OUR   JOE 


STILL  GOD  IS  GOOD 

I  know  not  where  His  currents  glide 

Into  the  noiseless,  tideless  main; 
I  know  His  Love  and  Wisdom  guide, 

His  Truth  and  Goodness  still  remain, 

Asleep,  awake — on  land  or  sea — on  mountain  top  or  plain — 
Angelic    love,    God's    Providence,    His    Watchcare    still    remain; 
And  God  is  good. 

His  fires  may  burn  my  treasured  home, 

His  lightnings  blast  my  garnered  store; 
And  I  be  left  o'er  earth  to  roam — 

No  friendly  hand — no  welcome  door — 
Still  sings  my  soul  this' glad  refrain 

Though  homeless,  friendless,  sick,  forlorn, 
Though  all  my  days  be  passed  in  pain, 

And  cherished  hopes  are  from  me  torn; 
Still  God  is  good. 

Though  His  Death  Angel  steals  away 

The  friends  I  love  and  who  love  me, 
And  leaves  all  nature  sombre  gray — 

Though  life  becomes  a  tragedy — 
Still  know  I  yet  that  truth  Supreme — 

That  back  of  all  earth's  loss  and  pain — 
My  soul  sings  on  its  constant  theme — 

"The  Pillar  and  the  Cloud'  'remain; 
And  God  is  good. 

I  see  the  truth  writ  large  in  life 

That  all  earth's  ills  are  for  a  day; 
They  cast  their  shadows,  bring  their  strife, 

Then  gradually  they  pass  away; 
But  Good  is  like  the  shining  sun, 

Though  hidden  by  a  passing  shade, 
Soon  is  the  Course  of  Evil  run, 

And  soon  is  Compensation  made; 
And  God  is  good. 

— B.  F.  Austin. 

(Written  on  the  train,  returning  from  Milwaukee,  summoned  home 
by  telegram  announcing  the  death  of  his  daughter.) 


OUR   JOE  47 

CHAPTER  IV. 
IF  A  MAN  DIE,  SHALL  HE  LIVE  AGAIN? 

It  is  easy  enough  to  be  complacent  and  to  say,  "Death 
ends  all,"  when  life  is  full  of  vitality,  beauty,  and  strength ; 
when  the  family  circle  is  unbroken;  and  when  death 
seems  far,  far  away. 

It  is  not  so  easy  when  one  is  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  stern  reality  of  death ;  when  the  grim  reaper  has 
come  into  the  home  and  snatched  away  one  that  is  very 
near  and  dear! 

From  that  hour  when  the  naked  savage  knelt  by  the 
side  of  a  loved  one,  and  with  hands  raised  to  heaven  cried, 
"Is  this  the  end?"  until  the  present  time,  when  contem- 
plating the  awful  reality  of  death,  the  mind  of  man  has 
instinctively  asked:  "If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again?" 

There  are  some  honest  and  sincere  people  who  are 
convinced  that  this  life  is  the  only  life  there  is,  and  that 
when  this  life  is  over,  it  marks  the  end  of  an  individual 
existence. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  denounce  or  condemn  these  men 
and  women ! 

There  is  no  doubt  that  they  love  their  mothers, 
fathers,  brothers,  sisters,  husbands,  wives,  sweethearts, 
and  friends,  just  as  dearly,  and  as  sincerely,  as  we  love 
ours!  They  miss  and  mourn  for  their  dead,  as  we  miss 
and  mourn  for  ours !  They  are  simply  driven,  by  the  logic 
of  their  reasoning  from  certain  premises,  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  is  nothing  in  Nature  or  Science  to  warrant  the 
belief  in  a  future  life. 

There  is  the  atheist  who  honestly  does  not  believe  in 
the  existence  of  God.  To  him  there  is  no  evidence  of  any- 
thing superior  to  matter,  force,  and  motion.  He  rejects 
the  hypothesis  of  "design,"  and  contends  that  he  sees  no 
such  thing  in  the  Universe. 

To  the  materialist,  Life  is  no  more  than  a  chemical 
reaction:  it  represents  a  certain  combination  and  inter- 
action of  molecules,  and  nothing  more. 


48  OUR   JOE 

Ernest  Haeckel,  Apostle  of  Modern  Materialism,  ex- 
pressed the  viewpoint  thus :  "All  phenomena,  from  the 
most  material  to  the  most  spiritual,  can  be  accounted  for 
in  terms  of  matter  and  motion." 

"Thought  is  a  product  of  the  brain,  and  there  can  be 
no  thought  without  a  brain,"  insists  the  materialist.  "Life 
is  not  an  entity ;  it  is  merely  the  effect  of  certain  material 
causes.  It  is  like  the  flame  of  the  candle ;  when  the  candle 
is  extinguished  the  light  ceases  to  exist.  So  with  the  soul. 
When  the  light  of  life  is  extinguished  in  the  body,  the 
mind,  or  ego,  or  spirit,  ceases  to  be.  It  is  just  as  reason- 
able to  talk  about  the  digestive  process  going  on  without  a 
stomach,  as  to  talk  about  the  continuance  of  consciousness 
without  a  brain ! 

"The  eye  is  the  organ  of  sight ;  the  nose  is  the  organ 
of  smell ;  and  the  ear  is  the  organ  of  hearing.  So  also  is 
brain  the  organ  of  thought !" 

It  may  be  said  in  this  connection  that  Science  is  never 
dogmatic. 

It  is  unscientific  to  be  dogmatic  about  anything.  All 
that  Science  is  willing  to  affirm  is :  "The  preponderance 
of  evidence  seems  to  prove  such  and  such  a  proposition 
to  be  true." 

In  suite  of  this  fact,  most  materialists  are  extremely 
dogmatic!  As  much  so,  sometimes,  as  our  orthodox 
friends  in  their  religion. 

But,  besides  the  out-and-out  materialist,  or  atheist, 
there  is  the  earnest,  sincere,  and  honest  agnostic. 

The  Agnostic  does  not  deny  the  existence  of  God !  He 
does  not  deny  the  existence  of  an  immortal  spirit,  nor  the 
possibility  of  a  life  after  death. 

To  use  the  words  of  the  greatest  agnostic  of  recent 
times,  Col.  R.  G.  Ingersoll,  the  agnostic  states : 

"There  may  be  in  this  universe  an  All-wise,  All-good 
Being,  under  whose  protection  the  Universe  exists;  and 
whose  every  thought  is  a  glittering  star,  but  I  know 
nothing  about  him!  Not  the  slightest!" 

Concerning  the  question  of  a  life  after  death,  Inger- 
soll expressed  himself  as  follows : 


OUR   JOE  49 

"I  have  said  a  thousand  times,  and  I  say  again,  that 
we  do  not  know,  we  cannot  say,  whether  death  is  a  wall  or 
a  door — the  spreading  of  pinions  to  soar,  or  the  folding 
forever  of  wings — the  Rise  or  the  Set  of  a  Sun,  or  an  end- 
less life  that  brings  rapture  and  love  to  everyone. 

The  idea  of  immortality,  that  like  a  sea  has  ebbed 
and  flowed  in  the  human  heart,  with  its  countless  waves 
of  hope  and  fear  beating  against  the  shores  and  rocks  of 
time  and  fate,  was  not  born  of  any  book,  nor  of  any  creed, 
nor  of  any  religion.  It  was  born  of  human  affection,  and 
will  continue  to  ebb  and  flow  beneath  the  mists  and  clouds 
of  doubt  and  darkness  as  long  as  Love  kisses  the  lips  of 
Death.  It  is  the  rainbow  Hope  shining  upon  the  tears 
of  grief. 

If  we  are  immortal,  it  is  a  fact  in  Nature,  and  we  are 
not  indebted  to  priests  for  it,  nor  to  bibles  for  it,  and  it 
cannot  be  destroyed  by  unbelief." 

In  a  letter  written  to  a  Mr.  Geer,  Ingersoll  expresses 
himself  as  follows : 

117  East  Twenty-first  Street, 
Gramercy  Park,  Apr.  24,  '99. 
My  dear  Mr.  Geer: 

What  you  said  to  Dr.  Foote  is  beautiful,  and  for  all  I  know  it 
may  be  true.  Still,  I  have  no  evidence  that  human  beings  are  im- 
mortal. Neither  have  I  any  evidence  that  there  is  any  Wise  and 
Beneficent  power  back  of  all  creation.  In  fact,  I  have  no  evidence 
of  creation. 

I  believe  that  all  matter  and  all  force  have  existed  from,  and 
will  exist,  to  eternity.  There  is  to  me  no  evidence  of  the  existence 
of  any  power  superior  to  Nature.  In  my  opinion,  the  supernatural 
does  not  exist.  Still,  we  can  wish  in  spite  of,  or  against,  evidence, 
and  we  can  hope  without  it. 

Yours  always, 

R.  G.  INGERSOLL. 

In  the  last  poem  written  before  his  death,  Ingersoll 
said: 

We  do  not  pray,  or  weep,  or  wail; 

We  have  no  dread, 
No  fear  to  pass  beyond  the  veil 

That  hides  the  dead. 
And  yet  we  question,  dream,  and  guess, 
But  knowledge  we  do  not  possess. 


50  OUR    JOE 


We  ask,  yet  nothing  seems  to  know; 

We  cry  in  vain. 
There  is  no  "master  of  the  show" 

Who  will  explain, 
Or  from  the  future  tear  the  mask; 
And  yet  we  dream,  and  still  we  ask : 

Is  there  beyond  the  silent  night 

An  endless  day? 
Is  death  a  door  that  leads  to  light? 

We  cannot  say. 

The  tongueless  secret  locked  in  fate 
We  do  not  know — We  hope  and  wait. 

The  above  expresses  the  sentiment  of  thousands  and 
thousands  of  earnest  souls.  They  would  like  to  believe 
that  death  does  not  end  all;  that  there  is  a  future,  and 
that  the  loved  and  lost  will  be  regained  in  another  world, 
and  upon  another  plane.  Yet,  they  are  too  honest  to  pro- 
fess a  belief  in  something  they  have  no  evidence  of. 

Says  Edward  Clodd,  the  famous  English  Rationalist 
and  Author,  in  his  book,  "The  Question:  If  a  Man  Die 
Shall  He  Live  Again?"  "Nothing  would  make  me  happier 
than  to  believe  that  I  shall  some  day  meet  the  dear  mother 
I  have  loved  and  lost.  But  the  evidence  available  does  not 
seem,  to  me,  to  warrant  any  such  hope." 

From  Robert  J.  Thompson's  book,  "Proofs  of  Life 
After  Death,"  I  reproduce  a  letter  from  Dr.  Hericourt : 

"Like  everybody,  and  in  particular  like  those  who 
have  lost  dear  ones,  I  would  feel  happy  could  I  find  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  the  survival  of  human  personality. 

"Alas!  I  have  found  none  that  are  capable  of  over- 
coming scientific  criticism.  When  the  lamp  goes  out, 
where  goes  the  flame?  To  all  appearances  this  flame  had 
a  real  existence,  but  was  nothing  but  a  series  of  vibrations 
constantly  renewed  and  dissipated  constantly. 

"Thus  it  is  with  our  soul  and  its  personality;  it  is  a 
flame  of  physiological  conditions,  resulting  from  vibra- 
tions no  sooner  produced  than  dissipated,  and  which  has 
no  more  real  existence  than  the  flame  of  a  lamp. 


OUR   JOE  51 

"What  is  immortal  is  the  matter  composing  the  lamp, 
the  matter  composing  our  body,  for  matter  is  part  of  the 
great  whole  which  is  indestructible.  Matter,  however, 
does  not  interest  us ;  what  does,  is  light,  our  personality ; 
and  this  very  thing  is  nothing ;  for  from  each  successive 
generation  of  souls  nothing  more  remains  than  what  is 
left  of  the  lights  of  the  last  fete." 

I  also  quote,  in  part,  a  letter  from  Prof.  A.  Brunot, 
published  in  the  same  book : 

"I  must  tell  you  in  all  frankness  that,  brought  face 
to  face  with  death  through  a  cruel  loss,  the  cruelest,  I 
think,  that  one  can  have,  that  of  an  adored  young  wife,  I 
have  never  found  even  the  shadow  of  a  reason  that  would 
lead  me  to  believe  I  would  find  her  again,  preserving  in 
any  manner  or  form  her  personality." 

In  the  year  1917,  if  I  remember  rightly,  a  debate  was 
held  in  the  city  of  Chicago  between  the  famous  criminal 
lawyer,  Clarence  A.  Darrow,  and  Professor  Foster,  of  the 
University  of  Chicago,  on  the  question :  "Is  Life  Worth 
Living?" 

Professor  Foster  said  "Yes."  Clarence  Darrow  said 
"No." 

One  of  Mr.  Harrow's  arguments  impressed  me  very 
strongly.  It  was  this : 

"If  there  is  no  life  after  this — and  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  there  is — it  seems  to  me  conclusive  that  life  is 
not  worth  living.  Would  you  want  to  live  your  life  over 
again?  I  would  not." 

My  conclusion  is  that  Mr.  Darrow  is  right.  If  this 
life  is  all  there  is ;  if  the  grave  is  the  end  of  each  and  all ; 
and  if  there  is  nothing  in  the  Universe  save  matter  and 
motion,  then  life  certainly  is  not  worth  the  living,  and 
the  most  logical,  sensible,  and  rational  thing  a  man  can  do 
is  to  commit  suicide! 

This  life,  at  best,  is  full  of  suffering,  trouble,  and 
sorrow. 

Some  of  my  materialistic-socialist  friends  tell  me  that 
life  is  hardly  worth  living  under  the  present  system,  but 


52  OUR   JOE 

that  when  Socialism  becomes  world-wide  and  complete, 
life  will  then  be  worth  living ! 

It  is  a  common  fallacy  to  assume  that  economic  inde- 
pendence brings  happiness ;  that  an  abundance  of  the  ma- 
terial things  of  life  precludes  the  possibility  of  misery 
and  discontent. 

Can  any  change  of  economic  conditions,  any  trans- 
formation of  society,  any  "Co-operative  Commonwealth," 
give  us  back  our  Joe  ? 

Can  any  proletarian  or  other  "revolution"  assuage 
our  grief,  or  drown  our  sorrow  for  his  loss,  if  it  be  true, 
indeed,  that  death  ends  all,  and  we  shall  never  see  him 
again  ? 

Even  with  the  coming  of  Utopia,  death  will  still 
snatch  from  the  living  those  who  love  and  are  loved ! 

Hearts  will  still  break,  and  heads  will  still  be  bowed 
in  sorrow,  no  matter  how  perfect  the  economic  and  ma- 
terial conditions  may  become ! 

The  fact  that  thousands  of  suicides  occur  among  the 
rich  is  proof  sufficient  that  the  material  is  not  all  that  goes 
to  make  life  worth  while ! 

Give  me  a  mansion  to  live  in;  a  library,  large  and 
beautiful ;  a  bank  account  running  into  the  seven  figures ; 
a  limousine — all  that  goes  with  wealth  and  affluence — and 
I  would  give  it  all  up  for  one  proof  positive  that  I  shall 
see  my  dear  brother  again ! 

Is  there  a  mother  or  father,  a  brother  or  sister,  who 
reads  these  pages,  who  would  not  rather  have  back  a  dear 
one  gone  than  all  the  wealth  of  the  Rockefellers  ? 

If  materialism  be  fact,  then,  for  me,  life  certainly  is 
not  worth  the  living! 

The  so-called  joys  and  pleasures  of  life  are  but  fleet- 
ing and  superficial  at  best.  There  is  nothing  permanently 
satisfactory  in  any  of  it. 

The  ardent  devotee  of  pleasure  soon  becomes  tired 
and  bored  with  it  all.  He  loses  his  appetite,  and  the  zest 
for  living.  He  spends  all  his  time  in  a  fruitless  endeavor 
to  get  away  from  himself — to  avoid  being  bored — to  find 
some  new  diversion! 


OUR   JOE  58 

Solomon  tried  it  all.  After  a  life  spent  in  one  mad 
whirl  of  pleasure,  he  sums  it  all  up  with  the  cynical  word : 
"It  is  all  vanity  of  vanities,  and  vexation  of  spirit." 

The  hungry  heart  of  the  world  cannot  be  satisfied 
with  the  husks  of  "worldly-pleasure"  upon  which  the 
"swine  of  materialism"  feed ! 

God  alone  can  satisfy  the  hungry  heart!  And  it  is 
God,  under  whatever  name,  that  really  brings  solace  and 
comfort  to  the  heart  in  time  of  bereavement,  trouble,  afflic- 
tion, sorrow,  and  despair ! 

To  quote  the  language  of  that  noble  soul,  Eugene  V. 
Debs,  in  a  statement  of  faith  published  long  before  his 
incarceration ;  which  faith  has  doubtless  been  his  strength 
and  fortress  during  the  bitter  months  of  the  past  two  and 
a  half  years,  and  which  echoes  the  words  of  the  Psalmist : 

"The  Lord  is  my  refuge  and  strength,  a  present  help 
in  time  of  trouble." 

"The  God  of  the  Universe  is  not  a  cruel,  savage, 
vengeful  deity,  filled  with  malice  and  breathing  out  his 
malediction  upon  his  hapless  creatures,  but  a  God  of 
boundless  Love,  whose  Almighty  Heart  throbs  in  the 
breast  of  every  created  being,  and  whose  infinite  soul 
radiates  in  the  hope  and  yearning  and  aspiration  of  the 
race. 

It  was  Voltaire  who  said  that  if  there  were  no  God,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  invent  one. 

Victor  Hugo  wrote :  "Leibnitz  praying  is  something 
grand;  Voltaire,  worshipping,  is  something  beautiful. 
Deo  Erexit  Voltaire." 

But  these  great  souls  *  *  *  worshipped  *  *  *  a 
God  of  Truth  and  Love,  the  God  whose  power  thrills  in 
our  veins  when  we  grapple  with  the  forces  of  evil  and  do 
battle  for  the  cause  of  Righteousness ;  the  God  whose  pas- 
sion for  justice  surges  in  our  souls,  sustains  us  in  every 
dark  and  trying  hour,  and  bears  us  in  triumph  to  the 
prison-gate  or  the  gallows-tree  in  the  pursuit  of  our  ideals 
and  in  the  service  of  humanity. 

"The  soul  which  loves  and  which  suffers  is  in  the 
sublime  state."  To  love  and  to  suffer  is  to  enter  the  gate- 


54  OUR   JOE 

way  of  God  and  is  the  blessed  heritage  of  all  great  souls. 
"Upon  the  tenderest  heart  the  deepest  shadows  fall." 

It  is  the  God  of  Love  who  sustains  the  souls  that  suffer 
that  other  souls  may  know  that  Love  is  God. 

A  cannon  ball  travels  at  the  rate  of  two  thousand 
miles  a  minute ;  a  ray  of  light  two  hundred  thousand  miles 
a  second.  "That,"  says  Victor  Hugo,  in  one  of  his  wonder- 
ful epigrams,  "is  the  difference  between  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte and  Jesus  Christ." 

There  are  times  when  even  the  strongest  among  us 
feel  weak  in  the  presence  of  the  overwhelming  odds  that 
confront  us  and  threaten  our  cause  with  disaster;  when 
all  our  plans  are  seemingly  shattered  and  all  our  years  of 
struggles  vain  and  fruitless.  It  is  then  that  the  heart 
grows  faint  and  the  spirit  sinks  within  us  if  left  to  our 
own  naked  selves  and  to  our  own  paltry  resources;  but 
if  in  the  starless  night  of  trial  we  can  realize  our  kinship 
to  the  God  of  Love  and  Truth  and  Righteousness,  and  feel 
his  omnipotent  power  pulsing  in  our  veins,  the  vitalizing 
current  of  life  and  hope  and  energy  renewed  from  the 
infinite  reservoir  speedily  restores  our  strength,  revives 
our  hope,  renews  our  faith  and  courage,  and  turns  ig- 
nominious defeat  into  glorious  victory. 

Who  has  not,  in  some  crisis  of  his  life,  felt  himself 
heartened  by  an  unheard  voice,  sustained  by  an  unseen 
power,  and  pressed  onward  by  unfelt  hands? 

The  God  I  worship  is  the  God  who  strengthens  my 
strength  in  the  war  for  the  weak ;  the  God  who  taught  me 
how  to  love  and  serve  and  suffer ;  the  God  of  Infinite  Love, 
who  never  damned  a  mortal  soul,  but  gave  to  every  living 
creature  his  divine  pledge  of  eternal  love  and  salvation."* 


*  Reprinted  from  the  Melting  Pot. 

And  to  quote  a  beautiful  verse  from  my  dear  friend, 
Robert  Whitaker : 

O  Love  Divine,  our  hearts  entwine, 
In  Thee  we  live,  and  move,  and  are  forever; 
Tho  wide  our  quest,  we  find  no  rest, 
Until  we  rest  in  Thee. 


OUR    JOE  55 

The  Idea  of  God  is  instinctive,  and  Universal.  Man 
is  a  religious  animal.  He  is  incurably  religious.  It  is  a 
phenomenon  common  to  all  races,  colors,  and  conditions 
of  men. 

No  matter  where  you  go,  what  race  of  people  you  may 
study,  or  what  country,  land,  or  clime  you  may  visit,  you 
will  find  man  worshipping  something!  He  worships  be- 
cause it  is  his  nature  to  worship.  He  cannot  help  it ! 

I  once  heard  this  illustration,  used  in  connection  with 
the  above  argument: 

It  is  a  very  common  thing  to  see  little  girls  dress  up 
in  their  mothers'  clothes ;  to  see  them  fondle  and  caress 
their  dolls,  or  pets,  and  to  pretend  they  are  mothers. 
Why?  Simply  because  it  is  feminine  nature  to  mother 
something! 

So,  also,  it  is  human  nature  to  worship  something! 

I  have  noticed  the  fact,  all  my  life,  that  he  who  says, 

"I  don't  believe  in  God,"  invariably  deifies  something  else! 

Not  even  the  so-called  atheist  can  get  away  from  the 
essential  fact  of  his  own  nature !  He  says  (theoretically) 
he  does,  not  believe  in  any  God,  but  he  makes  a  god  out  of 
something  else! 

He  may  call  his  God  "Humanity,"  and  himself  a 
"Humanitarian,"  and  to  the  service  of  Man  he  may  devote 
his  life!  To  the  cause  of  humanity — to  the  cause  of  Lib- 
erty, Justice,  and  Righteousness,  he  may  render  a  service 
throbbing  with  moral  and  spiritual  idealism. 

He  is  worshipping  God  under  a  different  name — but 
he  worships — he  serves  an  ideal!  Why?  In  response  to 
the  urge  of  his  own  inner  self ! 

Or  it  may  be  that  he  worships  at  the  shrine  of 
''Socialism,"  "The  Social  Revolution"  "Industrial  Democ- 
racy," "Science,"  "Truth,"  or  "Country."  Nevertheless, 
he  worships  something,  because  it  is  his  nature  to  do  so, 
and  he  can  no  more  help  it  than  he  can  help  breathing,  or 
stop  the  beating  of  his  heart ! 


56  OUR   JOE 


"THERE  IS  NO  UNBELIEF 

There  is  no  unbelief; 
Whoever  plants  a  seed  beneath  the  sod, 
And  waits  to  see  it  push  away  the  clod — 

He  trusts  in  God. 

There  is  no  unbelief; 

Whoever  says,  when  clouds  are  in  the  sky, 
"Be  patient  heart,  light  cometh  by  and  by," 

Trusts  the  Most  High. 

There  is  no  unbelief; 

Whoever  sees  'neath  winter's  field  of  snow, 
The  silent  harvest  of  the  future  grow — 

God's  power  must  know. 

There  is  no  unbelief; 

Whoever  lies  down  on  his  couch  to  sleep; 
Content  to  lock  each  sense  in  slumber  deep, 

Knows  God  will  keep. 

There  is  no  unbelief; 

Whoever  says,  "Tomorrow,"  "the  unknown," 
"The  Future,"  trusts  that  power  alone, 

He  dares  disown. 

There  is  no  unbelief; 

The  heart  that  looks  on  when  the  eye-lids  close, 
And  dares  to  live  when  life  has  only  woes, 

God's  comfort  knows. 

There  is  no  unbelief; 

And  day  by  day,  and  night,  unconsciously, 
The  heart  lives  by  faith  the  lips  deny — 

"God  knoweth  why." 

In  the  Hindu  Scriptures  there  is  a  passage  attributed 
to  Brahma,  which  reads :  "I  am  the  same  to  all  man- 
kind. They  who  honestly  serve  other  gods,  involuntarily 
worship  me.  I  am  He  who  partaketh  of  all  worship,  and 
I  am  the  reward  of  all  worshippers." 

It  matters  not  what  a  man  may  call  his  God :  the  fact 
is  that  he  has  one!  Names,  after  all,  signify  but  little; 
they  are  only  signs  for  ideas.  So,  it  is  a  mere  play  on 
words  to  substitute  "Universal  Essence,"  "Infinite 


OUR   JOE  57 

Spirit,"  "All-pervading  Came,"  etc.,  for  the  brief  word, 
"God." 

Jesus  said:  "God  is  Spirit,  and  they  who  worship 
Him  must  worship  Him  in  Spirit  and  in  Truth" 

EACH  IN  HIS  OWN  TONGUE 

A  fire-mist  and  a  planet,  a  crystal  and  a  cell; 
A  jellyfish  and  a  saurian,  and  caves  where  the  cave  men  dwell, 
Then  a  sense  of  law  and  beauty,  and  a  face  turned  from  the  clod — 
Some  call  it  evolution,  and  others  call  it  God. 

A  haze  on  the  far  horizon,  the  infinite  tender  sky, 
The  ripe,  rich  tint  of  the  cornfields,  and  the  wild  geese  sailing  high; 
And  all  over  upland  and  lowland  the  charm  of  the  goldenrod — 
Some  of  us  call  it  autumn,  and  others  call  it  God. 

Like  tides  on  the  crescent  sea-beach,  when  the  moon  is  new  and  thin, 
Into  our  hearts  high  yearnings  come  welling  and  surging  in — 
Come  from  the  mystic  ocean,  whose  rim  no  foot  has  trod — 
Some  of  us  call  it  longing,  and  others  call  it  God. 

A  picket  frozen  on  duty,  a  mother  starved  for  her  brood, 

Socrates  drinking  the  hemlock,  and  Jesus  on  the  rood ; 

And  millions  who,  humble  and  nameless,  the  straight,  hard  pathway 

trod — 
Some  call  it  consecration,  and  others  call  it  God! 

— Professor  William  Carruth. 

The  Idea  of  God  is  instinctive  and  Universal — and  so, 
also,  is  the  belief  in  a  future  life ! 

There  is  a  something  in  man  which  says :  "I  am  im- 
mortal! I  shall  never  die!  The  grave  will  not  swallow 
up  the  last  of  me!" 

When  loved  ones  are  put  away  there  is  a  something 
which  says :  "He  is  not  dead !  He  has  only  passed  on ! 
I  shall  see  him  again !" 

Why  has  Nature  planted  this  hope  within,  if  it  is  all 
a  lie? 

Is  there  any  other  sense,  or  instinct,  in  human  life, 
which  is  not  in  response  to  an  actual  fact  ? 

Why  have  we  eyes — the  organ  of  sight?  Because 
there  is  something  to  see! 

Why  have  we  ears — the  sense  of  hearing?  Because 
there  is  something  to  hear! 


58  OUR   JOE 

Why  have  we  a  sense  of  taste?  Because  there  is 
something  to  taste !  Everything  does  not  taste  alike ! 

Why  have  we  the  sense  of  touch?  Because  there  is 
something  to  touch ! 

Why  do  we  love  ?    Because  there  is  something  to  love ! 

Whence  our  esthetic  sense  ?  Because  there  is  beauty ! 

So — why  is  it  instinctive  to  worship?  Because  there 
is  God! 

Why  is  it  instinctive  to  hope  for  a  life  beyond  the 
grave  ?  Because  there  is  one ! 

One  of  the  most  pathetic  stories  in  all  literature  is  the 
story  of  Col.  Robert  G.  Ingersoll  at  his  brother's  grave ! 

Since  the  passing  of  my  own  dear  brother,  Ingersoll's 
funeral  oration  at  his  brother's  grave  has  exercised  a 
great  fascination  for  me.  It  is  very  beautiful,  and  very 
natural.  I  can  understand  now  the  grief  which  must  have 
been  his  in  that  hour. 

Among  the  other  beautiful  things,  he  said : 

"Life  is  a  narrow  vale  between  the  cold  and  barren 
peaks  of  two  eternities.  We  strive  in  vain  to  look  beyond 
the  heights.  We  cry  aloud,  and  the  only  answer  is  the 
echo  of  our  wailing  cry.  From  the  voiceless  lips  of  the 
unreplying  dead  there  comes  no  word " 

Then  it  is  said  the  great  agnostic,  overcome  with 
grief,  bowed  his  head  upon  the  casket  and  wept  in  uncon- 
trollable grief,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he  could  con- 
tinue. Then,  as  the  flower  of  faith  sprang  up  in  his  heart, 
he  continued :  "But  in  the  night  of  death  hope  sees  a  star, 
and  listening  love  can  hear  the  rustle  of  a  wing.  He  who 
sleeps  here,  when  dying,  mistaking  the  approach  of  death 
for  the  return  of  health,  muttered  with  his  latest  breath, 
'I  am  better  now.'  Let  us  hope,  dear  friends,  in  spite  of 
dogmas  and  fears,  grief  and  tears,  that  these  dear  words 
are  true  of  all  the  countless  dead." 

It  is  a  singular  thing  that,  twenty  years  later,  these 
words,  "I  am  better  now,"  were  the  last  words  of  the  great 
agnostic  himself. 

Let  us  echo  his  own  golden  words  and  say,  "Let  us 
hope  he  is  better  now." 


OUR   JOE  r>y 

"Were  there  not  a  cosmic  concord, 

What  would  life's  deep  meaning  be? 

All  the  Universe  is  order, 

Grandly  moving  as  we  see. 

Could  all  this  unending  cosmos 

Move  in  order  deeply  grand, 
And  there  not  be  peace  for  pilgrims, 

Rest  Divine  on  every  hand? 

Under  ocean's  tossing  billows 

Is  a  calm,  all  waves  below; 
And  beneath  all  mental  raving, 

Is  a  peace  we  all  may  know. 

Depth  that  reacheth  the  Eternal, 

Deeper  far  than  thought  or  mind, 
Is  this  concord,  vast  supernal, 

Is  this  peace  we  all  may  find. 

We  are  one  in  mystic  import, 

Sweet  beyond  all  strains  of  earth ; 
Manifest  we  now  in  earthland, 

Yet  are  we  of  spirit  birth; 

Part  of  that  geat  Cosmic  Concord, 

Grandeur  great  beyond  all  thought! 

Yet  by  depth  of  stringent  suffering 

Was  our  faith's  sweet  incense  bought. 

Harmony  ecstatic  enter, 

Let  each  act  be  sweet  divine, 
In  the  love  of  our  great  leader 

Lo,  we  see  heaven's  splendors  shine." 

(These  verses  were  published  anonymously  in  a  weekly  meta- 
physical magazine.  I  would  gladly  give  credit  if  I  knew  who  wrote 
them.— C.  S.  M.) 


CHAPTER  V. 
IMMORTALITY    IN   THE    LIGHT   OF   EVOLUTION 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  either  to  defend 
or  oppose  the  theory  of  evolution,  but  to  treat  the  problem 
of  immortality  from  the  standpoint  of  organic  evolution. 

Personally,  I  am  as  convinced  of  the  general  princi- 


60  OUR   JOE 

pies  of  evolution  as  I  am  of  the  law  of  gravitation,  and  it 
is  my  opinion  that  we  gain  nothing  by  ignoring  the  fact 
that,  in  scientific  circles,  the  evolutionary  hypothesis  is 
taken  for  granted. 

The  materialist  looks  upon  the  facts  of  evolution  as  a 
vindication  of  his  thesis  that  man  is  mortal. 

Says  he:    "All  beings  have  evolved,  including  man. 

"Man  has  come  up  from  the  lower  animals.  He  is  an 
animal.  He  is  a  first  cousin  of  the  anthropoid  ape.  The 
ape,  in  turn,  is  evolved  from  a  still  lower  form,  and  so  on 
down  to  the  beginning  of  life  upon  the  planet  earth. 
Therefore,  if  man  is  immortal,  so  must  be  the  animals ! 

"Evolution  has  established  a  universal  kinship. 

"Where  does  the  mortal  leave  off,  and  the  immortal 
begin  ? 

"Physically,  man  is  no  different,  in  kind,  from  the 
orders  of  life  beneath  him. 

"In  order  to  live  (at  least  in  the  body),  the  animals 
must  have  air,  and  food,  and  water.  So  must  man. 

"If  the  animal  can  live  without  a  soul,  so  can  man. 

"If  the  animal  must  have  a  brain  with  which  to  think, 
so  must  man. 

"If  the  animal  perishes  at  death,  so  must  man." 

Below  is  reproduced  an  article  from  "The  Progres- 
sive Thinker,"  a  Spiritualist  weekly,  published  in  Chicago : 

From  the  Progressive  Thinker,  of  Oct.  29,  1921. 

ZOO  HEAD  SAYS  IF  MAN  HAS  SOUL,  SO  HAS  ANIMAL 
BY  W.  B.  SEABROOK 

"If  the  lowest  members  of  the  human  race  have  immortal  souls, 
then  the  higher  animals  also  have  immortal  souls." 

This  statement  was  made  to  Universal  Service  by  Dr.  William 
Temple  Hornaday,  director  of  the  New  York  Zoological  Gardens, 
explorer  on  several  continents,  author  of  numerous  books  and  Amer- 
ica's leading  authority  on  animal  life. 

Commenting  on  the  declaration  of  the  great  French  scientist, 
Camille  Flammarion,  that  he  would  shortly  give  the  world  scientific 
proof  of  the  existence  of  animals  in  the  spirit  world,  Dr.  Hornaday 
said: 

"My  mind  is  wide  open.  But  I  would  want  to  see  the  evidence 
and  I  should  insist  on  it  being  scientific  and  complete. 


OUR   JOE  61 

"I  think  few  churchmen  will  disagree  with  me  on  the  proposi- 
tion or  object  to  my  assertion  that  belief  in  future  life  even  for 
human  beings  is  now  based  on  faith  rather  than  on  scientific  proof. 

"From  a  purely  rationalistic  standpoint,  leaving  religion  and 
revelation  aside,  I  see  no  reason  whv  it  is  not  just  as  likely  that  Mr. 
Flammarion's  dog  should  be  immortal  as  that  Mr.  Flammarion  him- 
self should.  If  the  human  being  exists  after  death  there  is  no  scien- 
tific reason  why  other  animal  life  should  be  excluded. 

"Basically  the  human  emotions  are  the  same  as  those  of  the 
higher  animals.  Man  has  simply  elaborated  and  refined  them. 

"And  the  difference  between  animal  intelligence  and  human 
intelligence  is  a  difference  in  degree  rather  than  in  kind. 

"That  animals  have  the  power  to  reason  from  cause  to  effect 
has  been  proven  under  my  own  observation. 

"One  of  the  most  interesting  cases  I  can  attest  is  that  of  an 
orang-outang  in  this  zoo  that  discovered  the  principle  of  the  lever. 

"This  beast  decided  that  it  wanted  to  tear  down  the  running 
bars  of  its  cage.  It  was  not  powerful  enough  to  do  so  by  an  appli- 
cation of  direct  physical  strength. 

"After  studying  the  situation  and  experimenting,  it  ripped 
down  the  bar  of  its  trapeze  and,  using  the  bar  as  a  lever,  managed 
to  tear  down  the  running  bars. 

"Furthermore,  finding  its  own  strength  insufficient  at  one  point 
it  called  another  orang-outang  to  help  it. 

"This  case  was  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  written  up  in  the 
scientific  magazines  at  the  time.  The  orang-outang  discovered  for 
itself  the  principle  of  the  lever  just  as  truly  as  Archimedes  discov- 
ered the  principle  of  the  screw. 

"This  orang-outang  and  other  animals  I  have  observed  showed 
more  intelligence  than  some  men  have.  I  would  point  out  that  the 
majority  of  psychologists  in  studying  animal  psychology  have  access 
only  to  tame  or  domestic  animals — the  dog,  the  horse,  the  cat. 

"But  wild  animals,  generally  speaking,  are  more  intelligent 
than  tame  animals.  This  is  natural  because  they  are  on  their  own 
resources  to  provide  for  themselves  food  and  shelter  and  to  preserve 
their  lives. 

"From  long  observation  I  am  convinced  that  some  of  the  higher 
wild  animals  have  intelligence  superior  to  that  of  the  lowest  form  of 
human  intelligence,  and  therefore  I  am  willing  to  lay  down  my 
original  proposition  with  little  fear  of  scientific  contradiction,  that 
higher  animals  are  just  as  likely  to  have  souls  as  are  lower  members 
of  the  human  race." 

The  first  book  I  ever  read  on  evolution,  and  the  one 
which  convinced  me  that  the  facts  all  point  to  evolution, 
was  J.  Howard  Moore's  splendid  little  book,  "The  Univer- 
sal Kinship."  In  the  preface  of  the  book  he  states  the 
thesis  of  his  work : 


62  OUR   JOE 

''The  Universal  Kinship  means  the  kinship  of  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  planet  Earth.  Whether  they  came  into 
existence  among  the  waters  or  among  desert  sands,  in  a 
hole  in  the  earth,  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  or  in  a  palace ; 
whether  they  build  nests  or  empires ;  whether  they  swim, 
fly,  crawl,  or  ambulate ;  and  whether  they  realize  it  or  not, 
they  are  all  related,  physically,  mentally,  and  morally. 
But  since  man  is  the  most  gifted  and  influential  of  animals, 
and  since  his  relationship  with  other  animals  is  more  im- 
portant and  more  reluctantly  recognized  than  any  other, 
the  chief  purpose  of  these  pages  is  to  prove  and  interpret 
the  kinship  of  the  human  species  with  the  other  species 
of  animals." 

On  page  4  of  the  same  book,  the  author  continues: 
"Man  is  an  animal.  However  averse  to  accepting  it  we 
may  be  on  account  of  favorite  traditions,  man  is  an  animal 
in  the  most  literal  and  materialistic  meaning  of  the  word. 
*  *  *  In  important  respects  he  is  the  most  highly  evolved 
of  animals ;  but  in  origin,  disposition,  and  form  he  is  no 
more  'divine'  than  the  dog  who  laps  his  sores,  the  terrapin 
who  waddles  over  the  earth  in  a  carapace,  or  the  fastidious 
worm  who  dines  on  the  dust  of  his  feet.  Man  is  not  the 
pedestalled  individual  pictured  by  his  imagination — a  be- 
ing glittering  with  prerogatives,  and  towering  apart  from 
and  above  all  other  beings.  He  is  a  pain-shunning,  pleas- 
ure-seeking, death-dreading  organism,  differing  in  partic- 
ulars, but  not  in  kind,  from  the  pain-shunning,  pleasure- 
seeking,  death-dreading  organisms  below  and  around  him. 
Man  is  neither  a  rock,  a  vegetable,  nor  a  deity.  He  be- 
longs to  the  same  class  of  existence,  and  has  been  brought 
into  existence  by  the  same  evolutional  processes,  as  the 
horse,  the  toad  that  hops  in  his  garden,  the  firefly  that 
lights  its  twilight  torch,  and  the  bivalve  that  reluctantly 
feeds  him. 

"Man's  body  is  composed  fundamentally  of  the  same 
materials  as  the  bodies  of  all  other  animals.  The  bodies 
of  all  animals  are  composed  of  clay.  They  are  formed  out 
of  the  same  elements  as  those  that  murmur  in  the  waters, 
gallop  in  the  winds,  and  constitute  the  substance  of  the 


OUR   JOE  63 

insensate  rocks  and  soils.  More  than  two-thirds  of  the 
weight  of  the  human  body  is  made  up  of  Oxygen  alone,  a 
gas  which  forms  one-fifth  of  the  weight  of  the  air,  more 
than  eight-ninths  of  that  of  the  sea,  and  forty-seven  per 
cent,  of  the  superficial  solids  of  the  earth. 

"Man's  body  is  composed  of  cells.  So  are  the  bodies 
of  all  other  animals.  And  the  cells  in  the  body  of  a  human 
being  are  not  essentially  different  in  composition  or  struc- 
ture from  the  cells  in  the  body  of  the  sponge.  All  cells 
are  composed  primarily  of  protoplasm,  a  compound  of 
carbon,  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  and  oxygen.  Like  all  other 
animals,  man  is  incapable  of  producing  a  particle  of  the 
essential  substance  of  which  the  body  is  made.  No  animal 
can  produce  protoplasm.  This  is  the  powrer  of  the  plant, 
and  the  plant  only.  All  that  any  animal  can  do  is  to  burn 
the  compounds  formed  in  the  sun-lit  laboratories  of  the 
vegetable  world.  The  human  skeleton,  like  the  skeletons 
of  nearly  all  other  animals,  is  composed  chiefly  of  lime — 
lime  being,  in  the  sea,  where  life  spent  so  many  of  its 
earlier  centuries,  the  most  available  material  for  parts 
whose  purpose  it  is  to  furnish  shape  and  durability  to 
the  organism. 

"Man  grows  from  an  egg.  So  do  all  creatures  of 
clay.  Every  animal  commences  at  the  same  place — in  a 
single,  lowly,  almost  homogeneous  cell.  A  dog,  a  frog,  a 
philosopher,  and  a  worm  cannot  for  a  long  time  after 
their  embryonic  commencement  be  distinguished  from 
each  other.  Like  the  oyster,  the  ox,  the  insect,  and  the  fish, 
like  all  that  live,  move,  and  breathe,  man  is  mortal.  He 
increases  in  size  and  complexity  through  an  allotted  period 
of  time ;  then,  like  all  his  kindred,  wilts  back  into  the  in- 
distinguishable flux  from  which  he  came. 

"Man  inhales  oxygen  and  exhales  carbon  dioxide.  So 
does  every  animal  that  breathes,  whether  it  breathe  by 
lungs,  gills,  skin,  or  ectosarc,  and  whether  it  breathe  the 
sunless  ooze  of  the  sea  floor,  or  the  ethereal  blue  of  the 
sky.  Animals  inhale  oxygen  because  they  eat  carbon  and 
hydrogen.  The  energy  of  all  animals  is  produced  mainly 
by  the  union  of  oxygen  with  the  elements  of  carbon  and 


64  OUR   JOE 

hydrogen  in  the  tissues  of  animal  bodies,  the  plentiful 
and  ardent  oxygen  being  the  most  available  supporter  of 
the  combustion  of  these  two  elements. 

"Man  is,  then,  an  animal,  more  highly  evolved  than 
the  most  of  his  fellow-beings,  but  positively  of  the  same 
clay,  and  of  the  same  fundamental  make-up,  with  the 
same  eagerness  to  exceed  and  the  same  destiny,  as  his  less 
pompous  kindred  who  float  and  frolic  and  pass  away  in 
the  seas  and  atmospheres,  and  creep  over  the  land-patches 
of  a  common  clod." 

On  page  107  the  same  author  continues:  "Man  is 
not  a  fallen  god,  but  a  promoted  reptile.  The  beings 
around  him  are  not  conveniences,  but  cousins.  Instead  of 
stretching  away  to  the  stars,  man's  pedigree  slinks  down 
into  the  sea." 

And  on  page  161  Mr.  Moore  declares:  "I  am  not 
one  of  those  who  regard  the  evidence  for  the  post-mortem 
existence  of  the  human  soul  as  being  either  abundant  or 
conclusive.  But  of  one  thing  I  am  positive,  and  that  is, 
that  there  are  the  same  grounds  precisely  for  believing 
in  the  immortality  of  the  bird  and  the  quadruped  as  there 
are  for  the  belief  in  human  immortality.  And  it  is  de- 
lightful to  find  great  thinkers  like  Haeckel,  great  biolo- 
gists and  philosophers,  holding  the  same  opinion." 

Ernst  Haeckel,  in  his  monumental  work,  Riddle  of 
the  Universe,  published  in  1899,  page  201,  says : 

."If  the  human  soul  were  to  live  for  all  eternity  we 
should  have  to  grant  the  same  privilege  to  the  *  * 
higher  animals,  at  least  to  those  of  the  nearest  related 
mammals  (apes,  dogs,  etc.) .  For  man  is  not  distinguished 
from  them  by  a  special  kind  of  soul,  or  by  any  peculiar 
and  exclusive  psychic  function,  but  only  by  a  higher  de- 
gree of  psychic  activity,  a  superior  stage  of  development. 
In  particular,  consciousness — the  function  of  the  associa- 
tion of  ideas,  thought,  and  reason — has  reached  a  higher 
level  in  many  men  (  by  no  means  in  all)  than  in  most  of 
the  animals.  Yet  this  difference  is  far  from  being  so 
great  as  is  popularly  supposed,  and  it  is  much  slighter  in 
every  respect  than  the  corresponding  difference  between 


OUR   JOE  65 

the  higher  and  lower  animal  souls,  or  even  the  difference 
btween  the  highest  and  the  lowest  stages  of  the  human 
soul  itself.  If  we  ascribe  'personal  immortality'  to  man, 
we  are  bound  to  grant  it  also  to  the  higher  animals." 

In  his  book,  "The  Spark  in  the  Clod,"  page  120,  Rev. 
J.  T.  Sunderland  sums  up  the  matter  thus : 

"Another  objection  to  the  doctrine  of  immortality, 
which  is  often  made,  is  the  claim  that  no  line  can  be  drawn 
between  man  and  the  animals  below  him,  so  that  if  man 
is  immortal  they  also  must  be.  They  and  he  came  into 
being  by  the  same  path  of  Evolution — many  of  them  have 
bodies  close  akin  to  his ;  some  even  show  moral  qualities, 
as  fidelity,  a  sense  of  duty,  an  ability  to  distinguish  be- 
tween Right  and  Wrong.  Must  we  not  believe,  therefore, 
that  they  and  he  will  have  the  same  fate?  If  he  lives 
again,  will  not  they  ?  If  they  perish,  must  not  he  ? 

"In  reply,  the  first  thought  that  suggests  itself  is  the 
inquiry :  Why  may  it  not  be  possible  that  at  least  all  the 
nobler  and  more  intelligent  of  the  lower  animals  may  live 
again?  It  would  seem  easier  to  believe  this  than  to  be- 
lieve that  man  is  to  perish.  Indeed,  for  myself,  I  think  it 
would  be  easier  to  believe  that  all  animals  are  immortal, 
than  that  man  is  not." 

In  his  excellent  book,  "Is  Death  the  End,"  Rev.  John 
Haynes  Holmes,  in  a  footnote  at  the  bottom  of  page  120, 
writes : 

"It  may  be  well  to  note  that  not  all  persons  have 
found  the  thought  of  the  immortality  of  animals — certain 
ones,  at  least! — inconceivable,  or  even  unpleasant.  Wit- 
ness the  statement  of  John  Galsworthy  in  reference  to 
dogs !  'If  we  have  spirits,  they  have.  If  we  know  after 
our  departure  who  we  are,  they  do.  No  one,  I  think,  who 
really  longs  for  the  truth,  can  ever  glibly  say  which  it  will 
be  for  dog  and  man — persistence  or  extinction  of  con- 
sciousness/ ' 

What  shall  we  say  in  reply  to  this  contention? 

Does  it  prove  that  man  is  not  immortal?  I  do  not 
think  so. 


66  OUR   JOE 

Among  the  great  evolutionary  thinkers  who  believe 
in  immortality,  there  are  three  theories  concerning  the 
relation  of  the  Imomrtal  Spirit  to  the  evolutionary 
process : 

First,  that  the  soul  itself  was  evolved ;  the  theory  of 
the  "inward  flowering  of  the  soul" ; 

Second,  that  with  the  dawn  of  human  consciousness, 
or  self-consciousness,  man  was  given  a  ready-made,  im- 
mortal spirit,  and  that  since  this  acquisition,  he  has  been 
set  apart,  and  is  in  a  class  by  himself — different  from  all 
other  creatures ; 

Third,  that  all  creatures  are  immortal —  that  all  life 
is  eternal  in  character,  and  that,  therefore,  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  death  anywhere  (in  the  commonly  accepted 
sense  of  the  word) ,  but  that  every  death,  whether  for  non- 
human  or  human,  represents  merely  a  transition  from  one 
state  of  existence  to  another. 

In  elucidation  of  the  first  theory,  that  of  "the  inward 
flowering  of  trie  soul,"  I  quote  from  my  friend  Dr.  Holmes' 
book,  "Is  Death  the  End?"  Chapter  4,  pages  125,  126 
and  127 : 

"*  *  *  There  is  the  doctrine  set  forth  by  Joseph  Le 
Conte,  for  many  years  professor  of  geology  and  natural 
history  at  the  University  of  California,  in  his  famous 
book  on  'Evolution  and  Its  Relation  to  Religious  Thought' 
(pages  313-30)  : 

"  'I  believe  that  the  spirit  of  man  was  developed  out 
of  the  anima  or  conscious  principle  of  animals,  and  this, 
again,  was  developed  out  of  the  lower  forms  of  life- 
force,  and  this  in  its  turn  out  of  the  chemical  and  physical 
forces  of  Nature ;  and  that  at  a  certain  stage  in  this  grad- 
ual development,  viz.,  with  man,  it  acquired  the  property 
of  immortality  precisely  as  it  now,  in  the  individual  his- 
tory of  each  man  at  a  certain  stage,  acquired  the  capacity 
of  abstract  thought/ 

"In  elucidation  of  this  view,  Le  Conte  traces  the  evo- 
lution of  organic  life  through  its  various  stages,  and  shows 
how  each  step  of  advancement  is  marked  by  the  appear- 
ance of  new  powers  and  properties,  never  apparent  and 


OUR   JOE  67 

wholly  unimaginable  before.  There  was  a  time  in  the 
history  of  the  earth/  he  reminds  us,  'when  only  physical 
forces  existed/  At  a  certain  stage  in  the  process  of  de- 
velopment, however,  'chemical  affinity  came  into  being' — 
a  new  form  of  force  never  seen  before,  having  new  and 
peculiar  phenomena,  'though  doubtless  derived  from  the 
preceding/  Ages  passed  away,  and  then  suddenly,  when 
conditions  were  favorable,  life  appeared — 'a  new  and 
higher  form  of  force,  producing  a  still  more  peculiar  group 
of  phenomena,  but  still  derived  from  the  preceding/ 

"  'Ages  upon  ages  again  passed  away,  during  which 
this  life-force  took  on  higher  and  higher  forms,  .  .  .  until 
finally,  when  the  time  was  fully  ripe  and  conditions  were 
exceptionally  favorable,  spirit,  self-conscious,  self-deter- 
mining, rational,  and  moral,  appeared— a  new  and  still 
higher  form  of  force,  but  still,  as  I  am  persuaded,  derived 
from  the  preceding/ 

"Thus  has  life  gone  on  developing  from  stage  to 
stage,  each  decisive  onward  step  distinguished  by  the 
sudden  appearance  of  new  properties  and  powers,  all  of 
them  derivative  to  be  sure,  but  no  one  of  them  foreseen 
or  even  foreseeable.  This  whole  process,  says  Professor 
Le  Conte,  interpreted  in  ultimate  terms,  is  nothing  but 
the  gradual  evolution  'of  spirit  in  the  womb  of  Nature/ 

"  'The  universal  Divine  energy,  unindivuated,  but 
only  yet  very  imperfectly,  is  what  we  call  the  life-force 
of  plants.  The  same  energy,  more  fully  indivuated,  but 
not  completely,  we  call  the  Anima  of  animals.  The  Anima, 
or  animal  soul,  as  time  went  on,  was  indivuated  more 
and  more,  until  it  resembled  and  foreshadowed  the  spirit 
of  man.  Finally,  still  the  same  energy,  completely  indi- 
viduated as  a  separate  entity  and  therefore  self-conscious, 
capable  of  separate  existence  and  therefore  immortal,  w£ 
call  the  spirit  of  man/ 

"In  man,  in  other  words,  the  Omnipresent  Divine 
energy,  after  unnumbered  centuries  of  what  may  be  called 
embryonic  development,  at  last  came  to  birth,  and  the  new 
and  distinctive  property  or  power  which  it  assumed,  at 
this  marvelous  instant  of  final  realization,  was  immor- 


68 


OUR   JOE 


tality.  'As  the  organic  embryo  by  birth  reaches  inde- 
pendent material  or  temporal  life,'  says  Le  Conte,  'even 
so,  spirit  embryo  by  birth  attains  independent  spiritual 
or  eternal  life.' ' 

Says  John  Fiske: 

"I  can  see  no  insuperable  difficulty  in  the  notion  that, 
at  some  period  in  the  evolution  of  humanity,  this  the 
divine  spark  may  have  acquired  sufficient  concentration 
and  steadiness  to  survive  the  wreck  of  material  forms  and 
endure  forever."  (See  The  Destiny  of  Man,  page  117.) 

The  second  theory,  that  "with  the  dawn  of  Human, 
or  Self -C  consciousness,  man  was  given  a  ready-made,  im- 
mortal spirit — a  thing  brand  new,  and  foreign,  to  evolu- 
tion— and  a  thing  which  is  possessed  by  man  alone — and 
which  is  not  possessed  by  any  other  animal,"  was  the 
theory  held  by  Dr.  Alfred  Russell  Wallace,  co-discoverer 
with  Darwin  of  the  principle  of  natural  selection,  and  who 
became  convinced  of  the  reality  of  Spiritualism,  and  by 
many  other  evolutionists  and  spiritualists. 

Says  Dr.  John  Haynes  Holmes,  in  contrasting  the 
view  of  Wallace  with  that  of  Le  Conte :  "Wallace  *  *  * 
is  *  *  *  emphatic  in  his  opinion  that  the  immortal  spirit 
is  a  'new  thing  added  at  once,  out  of  hand,  to  what  was 
already  existing  before.'  It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  get 
hold  of  his  exact  idea  in  all  its  ramifications,  but  the  basic 
conception  seems  to  be  that  of  'a  world  of  spirit,  to  which 
the  world  of  matter  is  altogether  subordinate.' ' 

In  defense  of  his  position,  Wallace  emphasizes  the 
qualities  of  self-consciousness,  moral  idealism,  spirituality, 
etc.,  which  differentiate  man  from  the  lower  animals.  He 
argues  that: 

"These  faculties  either  do  not  exist  at  all  or  exist  in 
a  very  rudimentary  condition  in  savages,  but  appear 
almost  suddenly  and  in  perfect  development  in  the  higher 
races.  These  same  faculties  are  further  distinguished  by 
their  sporadic  character,  being  well  developed  only  in  a 
very  small  proportion  of  the  community ;  and  by  the  enor- 
mous amount  of  variation  in  their  development.  *  *  * 
Each  of  these  characteristics  is  totally  inconsistent  with 


OUR   JOE  69 

any  action  of  the  law  of  natural  selection  in  the  production 
of  the  faculties  referred  to ;  and  the  facts  taken  in  their 
entirety,  compel  us  to  recognize  some  origin  for  them 
wholly  distinct  from  that  which  has  served  to  account  for 
the  animal  characteristics  of  man." 

Dr.  Wallace  finds  this  origin  in  what  he  calls  "the 
unseen  universe  of  Spirit." 

Dr.  Holmes  comments  upon  this  as  follows :  "Man, 
on  this  hypothesis,  is  a  twofold  creature.  Superimposed 
upon  his  animal  nature  is  a  spiritual  nature,  which  repre- 
sents what  Wallace  calls  'an  influx  of  some  portion  of  the 
Spirit  of  the  Deity.'  By  virtue  of  this  'influx/  man  be- 
came a  living  soul.  On  the  basis  of  this  'influx'  are  to  be 
explained  all  the  attributes  and  powers  of  man  which 
differentiate  him  from  the  brute." 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  second  theory  exempts  the 
spirit  of  man  from  the  operation  of  the  law  of  evolution, 
and  makes  of  the  "spiritualized  animal"  a  new  and  a  dis- 
tinct creation,  so  that,  however  much  man  may  have  in 
common  with  the  other  animals  in  the  material  way,  he 
has  absolutely  nothing  in  common  with  them  in  a  spiritual 
way. 

Personally,  I  am  less  inclined  to  accept  this  "explana- 
tion" than  I  am  of  either  of  the  other  two. 

It  does  not  seem  to  me  that  Wallace  has  made  his  case 
at  all  plausible.  He  does  not  pretend  to  tell  us  when  this 
Spirit  descended  into  the  animal,  and  the  animal  ceased 
to  be  mortal,  and  became  immortal.  Surely,  on  these 
grounds,  it  seems  that  some  animals  are  more  worthy  of 
such  an  incarnation  than  some  men ! 

Says  Edward  Carpenter: 

"I  saw,  deep  in  the  eyes  of  the  animals,  the  human 
soul  look  out  upon  me. 

"I  saw  where  it  was  born  down  deep  under  feathers 
and  fur,  or  condemned  for  awhile  to  roam  four-footed 
among  the  brambles.  I  caught  the  clinging,  mute  glance 
of  the  prisoner,  and  swore  that  I  would  be  faithful. 

"Thee,  my  brother  and  sister,  I  see  and  mistake  not. 
Do  not  be  afraid.  Dwelling  thus  and  thus  for  awhile,  f ul- 


70  OUR   JOE 

filling  thy  appointed  time — thou  too  shalt  come  to  thyself 
at  last. 

"Thy  half-warm  horns  and  long  tongue  lapping  round 
my  wrist  do  not  conceal  thy  humanity  any  more  than  the 
learned  talk  of  the  pedant  conceals  his — for  all  thou  art 
dumb,  we  have  words  and  plenty  between  us." 

The  third  theory,  and  the  one  which  most  appeals  to 
me,  is  that  "All  life  is  continuous — immortal — indestruc- 
able ;  that  it  is  one  of  the  primal  elements  of  the  Universe; 
that,  as  we  believe  in  the  indestructability  of  matter,  and 
the  conservation  of  energy,  we  must  believe  in  the  con- 
tinuity of  life!  Not  one  single  spark  of  life  can  be  de- 
stroyed, any  more  than  a  single  atom  of  matter  can  be 
destroyed ! 

The  clearest  and  most  illuminating  exposition  of  this 
third  theory  which  I  have  ever  seen  is  to  be  found  in 
Sir  Oliver  Lodge's  lecture  on  "The  Continuity  of  Life," 
or  in  Part  Three :  Life  and  Death  section  of  his  remark- 
able book,  Raymond,  chapters  1  to  10. 

In  the  "Continuity  of  Life,"  a  lecture  delivered  before 
the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science, 
on  the  occasion  of  his  election  to  the  presidency  of  that 
society,  in  1913,  Sir  Oliver  argues  that  Life  is  the  direct- 
ing energy  which  works  in  and  through  matter,  and  that 
Life  is  independent  of,  and  superior  to,  matter. 

It  might  be  well  here  to  remind  the  reader  that  Sir 
Oliver  Lodge  is  one  of  the  greatest  of  British  scientists, 
and  that  he  became  a  Spiritualist  only  after  years  of  rigid, 
scientific  investigation  of  psychic  phenomena. 

It  is  in  the  part  of  Raymond  referred  to,  however, 
that  the  clearest  exposition  is  made  of  the  "third  theory" 
to  which  we  have  called  attention. 

In  Chapter  1,  on  "The  Meaning  of  Life,"  Sir  Oliver 
says,  among  other  things : 

"By  the  term  'life'  I  wish  to  signify  the  vivifying 
principle  which  animates  matter. 

"That  the  behavior  of  animated  matter  differs  from 
what  is  often  called  dead  matter  is  familiar,  and  is  illus- 


OUR   JOE  71 

trated  by  the  description  sometimes  given  of  an  uncanny 
piece  of  mechanism — that  'it  behaves  as  if  it  were  alive/ 

"We  must  admit  that  the  term  'dead  matter'  is  often 
misapplied.  It  is  used  sometimes  to  denote  merely  the 
constituents  of  the  general  inorganic  world.  But  it  is  in- 
convenient to  speak  of  utterly  inanimate  things,  like 
stones,  as  'dead,'  when  no  idea  of  life  was  ever  associated 
with  them,  and  when  'inorganic'  is  all  that  is  meant.  The 
term  'dead'  applied  to  a  piece  of  matter  signifies  the  ab- 
sence of  a  vivifying  principle,  no  doubt,  but  it  is  most 
properly  applied  to  a  collocation  of  organic  matter  which 
has  been  animated. 

"  "Again,  when  animation  has  ceased,  the  thing  we 
properly  call  dead  is  not  the  complete  organism,  but  that 
material  portion  which  is  left  behind ;  we  do  not  or  should 
not  intend  to  make  any  assertion  concerning  the  vivifying 
principle  which  has  left  it — beyond  the  bare  fact  of  its 
departure.  We  know  too  little  about  that  principle  to  be 
able  to  make  safe  general  assertions.  The  life  that  is 
transmitted  by  an  acorn  or  other  seed  fruit  is  always 
beyond  our  ken.  We  can  but  study  its  effects,  and  note  its 
presence  or  absence  by  results. 

"Life  must  be  considered  SUI  GENERIS;  it  is  not  a 
form  of  energy,  nor  can  it  be  expressed  in  terms  of  some- 
thing else.  Electricity  is  in  the  same  predicament;  it  too 
cannot  be  explained  in  terms  of  something  else.  This  is 
true  of  ALL  fundamental  forms  of  being.  Magnetism 
may  be  called  a  concomitant  of  moving  electricity ;  ordin- 
ary matter  can  perhaps  be  resolved  into  electric  charges : 
but  an  electric  charge  can  certainly  not  be  expressed  in 
terms  of  either  matter  or  energy.  No  more  can  life.  To 
show  that  the  living  principle  in  a  seed  is  not  one  of  the 
forms  of  energy,  it  is  sufficient  to  remember  that  that  seed 
can  give  rise  to  innumerable  descendents,  through  count- 
less generations,  without  limit.  There  is  nothing  like  a 
constant  quantity  of  something  to  be  shared,  as  there  is 
in  all  examples  of  energy ;  there  is  no  conservation  about 
it :  the  seed  embodies  a  stimulating  and  organizing  prin- 
ciple which  appears  to  well  from  a  limitless  source. 


72  OUR   JOE 

"But  although  life  is  not  energy,  any  more  than  it  is 
matter,  yet  it  directs  energy,  and  thereby  controls  ar- 
rangements of  matter." 

Therefore,  insists  Sir  Oliver,  Life  is  an  entity  per  se; 
it  exists  in  itself,  and  it  exerts  influence  over  matter.  He 
continues : 

"Through  the  agency  of  life  specific  structures  are 
composed  which  otherwise  would  not  exist,  from  a  sea- 
shell  to  a  cathedral,  from  a  blade  of  grass  to  an  oak ;  and 
specific  distributions  of  energy  are  caused  from  the  lumi- 
nosity of  a  firefly  to  an  electric  arc,  from  the  song  of  a 
cricket  to  an  oratorio. 

"Life  makes  use  of  any  automatic  activities,  or  trans- 
ferences and  declensions  of  energy,  which  are  either 
potentially  or  actually  occurring.  In  especial  it  makes 
use  of  the  torrent  of  ether  tremors  which  reach  the  earth 
from  the  sun.  Every  plant  is  doing  it  constantly.  Ad- 
mittedly life  exerts  no  force,  it  does  no  work,  but  it  makes 
effective  the  energy  available  for  an  organism  which  it 
controls  and  vivifies ;  it  determines  in  what  direction  and 
when  work  shall  be  done.  It  is  plain  matter  of  fact  that 
it  does  this,  whether  we  understand  the  method  or  not— 
and  thus  indirectly  life  interacts  with  and  influences  the 
material  world." 

He  goes  on  to  say,  "Energy  controlled  by  life  is  not 
random  energy :  the  kind  of  self-composition  or  personal 
structure  built  by  it  depends  on  the  kind  of  life-unit  which 
is  operating,  not  on  the  pabulum  which  is  supplied.  Food 
which  is  assimilable  at  all  takes  a  shape  determined  by 
the  nature  of  the  operative  organism,  and  indeed  by  the 
portion  of  the  organism  actually  reached  by  it.  Uncon- 
scious constructive  ability  is  as  active  in  each  cell  of  the 
body  as  in  a  honeycomb ;  only  in  a  beehive  we  can  see  the 
operators  at  work.  The  construction  of  an  eye  or  an  ear 
is  still  more  astonishing.  In  the  inorganic  world  such 
structures  would  be  meaningless,  for  there  would  be  noth- 
ing to  respond  to  their  stimulus ;  they  can  only  serve  ele- 
mentary mind  and  consciousness.  The  brain  and  nerve 


OUR   JOE  73 

system  is  an  instrument  of  transmutation  or  translation 
from  the  physical  to  the  mental,  and  vice  versa." 

Again  speaking  of  the  organizing  and  directing  func- 
tion of  the  life-principle,  he  says,  in  his  chapter  on  "Death 
and  Decay": 

"The  visible  shape  of  the  body  is  no  accident,  it  cor- 
responds to  a  reality,  for  it  was  caused  by  the  indwelling 
vivifying  essence ;  and  affection  entwines  itself  inevitably 
round  not  only  the  true  personality  of  the  departed,  but 
round  its  material  vehicle  also — the  sign  and  symbol  of  so 
much  beauty,  so  much  love." 

In  the  following  chapters  Lodge  goes  on  to  discuss 
"Continued  Existence,"  "Interaction  of  Mind  and  Mat- 
ter, Mind  and  Brain,  and  Life  and  Consciousness." 

Let  me  say  in  this  connection,  Reader,  if  you  have  not 
read  "Raymond,"  by  Sir  Oliver  Lodge,  by  all  means  do  so. 
It  represents  a  wonderful  piece  of  work,  and  no  one  inter- 
ested in  the  question  of  a  life  after  death  can  afford  to 
fail  in  reading  it. 

According  to  the  theory  of  continuity,  "Life"  and 
"Spirit"  are  one ;  therefore,  the  animals,  and  even  plants, 
as  well  as  man,  must  have  a  something  which  is  inde- 
structable  and  eternal. 

In  the  chapter  on  "Life  and  Consciousness,"  Sir 
Oliver,  after  discussing  the  points  of  view  which  I  have 
indicated  in  theories  one  and  two,  goes  on  to  say : 

"I  would  venture  to  extend  the  range  of  the  term 
'soul'  down  to  a  very  large  denominator — to  cases  in  which 
the  magnitude  of  the  fraction  becomes  excessively  minute 
—and  tentatively  admit  to  the  possibility  of  survival, 
though  not  individual  survival,  every  form  of  life.  As  to 
Individuality  and  Personality — they  can  only  survive 
where  they  already  exist;  where  they  really  exist  they 
persist;  but  bare  survival,  as  an  alternative  to  improbable 
extinction,  may  be  widespread. 

"Matter  forms  an  instrument,  a  means  of  manifesta- 
tion, but  it  need  not  be  the  only  one  possible.  We  have 
utilized  matter  to  build  up  this  beautiful  bodily  mechan- 
ism, but  when  that  is  done  with,  the  constructive  ability 


OUR   JOE 


remains;  and  it  can  be  expected  to  exercise  its  organizing 
powers  in  other  than  material  environment.  If  this 
hypothesis  be  true  at  all  (and  admittedly  I  am  now  mak- 
ing hypothesis)  it  must  be  true  of  all  forms  of  life;  for 
what  the  process  of  evolution  has  accomplished  here  may 
be  accomplished  elsewhere,  under  conditions  at  present 
unknown.  So  I  venture  to  surmise  that  the  surroundings 
of  non-material  existence  will  be  far  more  homely  and 
habitual  than  people  in  general  have  been  accustomed  to 
think  likely. 

"And  how  do  I  know  that  the  visible  material  body 
of  anything  is  all  the  body,  or  all  the  existence,  it  pos- 
sesses ?  Why  should  not  things  exist  also,  or  have  etherial 
counterparts  in  an  etherial  world?  Perhaps  everything 
has  already  an  etherial  counterpart,  of  which  our  senses 
tell  us  the  material  aspect  only.  I  do  not  know.  Such  an 
idea  may  be  quoted  as  an  absurdity ;  but  if  the  evidence 
drives  me  in  that  direction,  in  that  direction  I  will  go, 
without  undue  resistence.  There  have  been  those  who  do 
not  wait  to  be  driven,  but  who  lead;  and  the  inspired 
guidance  of  Plotinus  in  that  direction  may  secure  more 
attention,  and  attract  more  disciples,  when  the  way  is 
illuminated  by  discoverable  facts. 

"Meanwhile  facts  await  discovery. 

"My  reference  *  *  *  to  teachings  of  Plotinus  about 
the  kind  of  things  to  be  met  with  in  the  other  world,  or 
the  etherial  world,  or  whatever  it  may  be  called,  is  due 
to  information  from  Professor  J.  H.  Muirhead,  that  roughly 
speaking,  Plotinus  teaches  that  things  there  are  on  the 
same  plan  as  things  here:  each  thing  here  having  its 
counterpart  or  corresponding  existence  there,  though  glor- 
ified and  fuller  of  reality.  Not  to  misrepresent  this  doc- 
trine, but  to  illustrate  it  as  far  as  can  be  by  a  short  pas- 
sage, Professor  Muirhead  has  given  me  the  following 
translation  from  the  Enneads : 

"  'But  again  let  us  speak  thus :  for  since  we  hold  that 
this  universe  is  framed  after  the  pattern  of  that,  every 
living  thing  must  needs  first  be  there;  and  since  Its  Being 
is  perfect,  all  must  be  there.  Heaven  then  must  there  be 


OUR   JOE  75 

a  living  thing  nor  void  of  what  are  here  called  stars; 
indeed  such  things  belong  to  heaven.  Clearly,  too,  the 
earth  which  ismthere  is  not  an  empty  void,  but  is  much 
more  full  of  life,  wherein  are  all  creatures  that  are  here 
called  land  animals  and  plants  that  are  rooted  in  life. 
And  sea  is  there,  and  all  water  in  ebb  and  flow  and  in 
abiding  life,  and  all  creatures  that  are  in  the  water.  And 
air  is  a  part  of  the  all  that  is  there,  and  creatures  of  the 
air  in  accordance  with  the  nature  and  laws  of  air.  For  in 
the  living  how  should  living  things  fail?  How  then  can 
any  living  thing  fail  to  be  there,  seeing  that  as  each  of 
the  great  parts  of  Nature  is,  so  needs  must  be  the  living 
things  that  therein  are?  As  then  heaven  is,  and  there 
exists,  so  are  and  exist  all  the  creatures  that  inhabit  it; 
nor  can  these  fail  to  be,  else  would  those  (on  earth)  not 
be.'  Enn.  VI.,  vii. 

"I  expect  it  would  be  misleading  to  suppose  that  the 
terms  used  by  Plotinus  really  signify  any  difference  of 
locality.  It  may  be  nearer  the  truth  to  suppose  that  when 
freed  from  our  restricting  and  only  matter-revealing 
senses  we  become  aware  of  much  that  was  and  is  "Here" 
all  the  time,  interfused  with  the  existence  which  we  know 
— forming  part  indeed  of  the  one  and  only  complete  exist- 
ence, of  which  our  present  normal  knowledge  is  limited  to 
a  single  aspect.  We  might  think  and  speak  of  many  inter- 
penetrating universes,  and  yet  recognize  that  ultimately 
they  must  be  all  one.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  present  dif- 
fers from  what  we  now  call  the  future  except  in  our  mode 
of  perceiving  it." 

According  to  this  conception,  the  spirit-world  is  not 
"far,  far  away,"  or  "far  beyond  the  skies,"  or  "in  the 
skies,"  but  it  is  here,  there,  everywhere!  Fundamentally, 
it  is  more  of  a  state  or  condition  than  a  place! 

It  is  just  as  true,  that  even  on  the  earth-plane,  we 
create  our  own  moral,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  worlds. 
It  is  also  true,  that  even  on  the  earth-plane  people  live  in 
"different  worlds." 

Some  live  in  an  atmosphere  of  refinement,  culture, 
beauty,  and  spirituality,  while  others  live  in  an  atmos- 


76 


OUR   JOE 


phere  of  coarseness,  vulgarity,  ugliness,  and  materialism. 

Some  live  in  a  world  of  music ;  others  in  a  world  of 
poetry ;  others  in  a  world  of  literature ;  others  in  a  world 
of  "tango  and  jazz";  others  in  a  world  of  philosophy; 
and  so  on  ad  infinitum. 

On  the  earth-plane  there  are  many  kingdoms  of  life : 
the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  life  of  the  sea,  the  life  of  the 
jungles,  the  life  of  the  plains,  of  the  valleys,  and  hills. 
Each  kingdom  lives  largely  unto  itself. 

So  it  may  be  in  the  spirit-world. 

So,  then,  whether  we  prefer  any  one  of  these  theories 
to  the  other,  evolution  does  not  present  any  insuperable 
difficulty  in  the  way  of  the  belief  in  a  future  life. 

If  we  accept  the  testimony  purporting  to  come  from 
inhabitants  of  the  Spirit-world,  some  animals,  at  least,  do 
survive  the  change  called  death. 

In  Raymond,  page  203,  during  a  sitting  of  Sir  Oliver 
Lodge  with  the  famous  Mrs.  Leonard,  the  child-control, 
Feda,  speaking  concerning  Raymond: 

"He  has  brought  that  doggie  again,  nice  doggie.  A 
doggie  that  goes  like  this,  and  twists  about  (Feda  indicat- 
ing a  wriggle) .  He  has  got  a  nice  tail,  not  a  little  stumpy 
tail,  nice  tail  with  nice  hair  on  it.  He  sits  up  like  that 
sometimes,  and  comes  down  again,  and  puts  his  tongue 
out  of  his  mouth.  He's  got  a  cat,  too,  plenty  of  animals, 
he  says.  He  hasn't  seen  any  lions  and  tigers,  but  he  sees 
horses,  cats,  dogs,  and  birds.  He  says  you  know  this 
doggie ;  he  has  nice  hair,  a  little  wavy,  which  sticks  up  all 
over  him,  and  has  twists  at  the  end.  Now  he's  jumping 
around.  He  hasn't  got  a  very  pointed  face,  but  it  isn't 
like  a  little  pug  dog  either ;  it's  rather  a  long  shape.  And 
he  has  nice  ears  with  flaps,  not  standing  up;  nice  long 
hairs  on  them,  too.  A  darkish  color  he  looks,  darkish,  as 
near  as  Feda  can  see  him." 

O.  J.  L. :    "Does  he  call  him  by  any  name?" 

Feda :  "He  says,  'Not  him/  (Sotto  voce. — What  you 
mean,  not  him'?)  It  is  a  'him';  you  don't  call  him  'it.' 
No,  he  won't  explain.  No,  he  didn't  give  a  name.  It 
can  jump." 


OUR   JOE  77 

Sir  Oliver  states  that  the  above  was  quite  an  accurate 
description  of  a  she-dog  called  "Curly,"  which  had  died 
some  years  ago.  A  photograph  of  the  dog  is  reproduced 
on  page  278. 

During  some  of  the  table-sittings  in  our  home  we 
have  received  affirmative  answers  to  our  questions  if  there 
were  any  animals  in  the  spirit-world.  Both  Grandma 
H.  M.  P.  and  Joe  specifically  mentioned  an  old  horse  we 
once  owned,  which  went  by  the  name  of  "Spot,"  a  faith- 
ful old  creature. 

In  the  literature  of  the  Society  for  Psychical  Re- 
search, and  in  the  books  and  pamphlets  of  Modern 
Spiritualism,  one  will  run  across  numerous  spirit-com- 
munications to  the  effect  that  there  are  animals  who  have 
survived  death,  and  that  these  animals  have  been  seen. 

In  conclusion,  the  abstract  question  of  immortality 
in  the  light  of  evolution  is  of  minor  consequence,  if  it  be 
a  fact  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  can,  and  do,  communi- 
cate with  the  living! 

Whenever  any  new  fact  or  truth  is  discovered,  we  are 
compelled  to  adjust  our  former  views  accordingly.  Hence, 
if  it  can  be  proved  that  a  single,  bona  fide  message  has 
ever  come  from  disembodied  spirits,  that  one  proof  would 
outweigh  all  the  philosophical  and  speculative  arguments 
in  the  world.  The  question  then  is,  Is  spirit  communica- 
tion a  fact?  Can  it  be  proved?  If  so,  everything  else  is 
incidental ! 

I  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  pointing  out  the 
affirmative  aspects  of  Evolution  in  relation  to  the  problem 
of  immortality. 

Personally,  Evolution  itself  is  to  me  the  strongest 
argument,  outside  of  actual  observation  and  experience, 
in  favor  of  the  hypothesis  of  immortality.  To  quote  from 
the  great  discoverer,  Darwin  himself : 

"With  respect  to  immortality  nothing  shows  me  how 
strong  and  almost  instinctive  a  belief  it  is  as  the  consid- 
eration of  the  view  now  held  by  most  physicists,  namely, 
that  the  sun  with  all  the  planets  will  in  time  grow  too 
cold  for  life.  .  .  .  Believing  as  I  do  that  man  in  the  dis- 


78 


OUR   JOE 


tant  future  will  be  a  far  more  perfect  creature  than  he 
now  is,  it  is  an  intolerable  thought  that  he  and  all  other 
sentient  beings  are  doomed  to  complete  annihilation  after 
such  long-continued  slow  process." — Charles  Darwin  in 
Life  and  Letters,  vol.  i.,  p.  282. 

In  other  words,  if  man  is  to  perish  at  death,  evolu- 
tion has  been  a  purposeless,  senseless  process,  for  ulti- 
mately all  her  works  will  sink  into  the  oblivion  of  noth- 
ingness ! 

Says  John  Fiske,  in  The  Destiny  of  Man,  page  114: 

"Is  it  all  ephemeral,  is  it  all  a  bubble  that  bursts,  a 
vision  that  fades?  Are  we  to  regard  the  Creator's  (or 
Nature's  if  preferred)  work  as  like  that  of  a  child,  who 
builds  houses  out  of  blocks,  just  for  the  pleasure  of  knock- 
ing them  down?" 

In  that  excellent  work  already  quoted,  "Is  Death  the 
End,"  by  Rev.  John  Haynes  Holmes,  pages  130-139,  this 
argument  is  elucidated  as  follows: 

"Not  yet,  however,  have  we  touched  upon  that  phase 
of  the  evolutionary  conception  which  constitutes  the  real 
contribution  of  the  new  science  of  our  time  to  the  hope 
of  immortality.  We  shall  only  begin  to  understand  the 
significance  of  this  contribution  when  we  see  that  in  this, 
as  in  every  other  problem  of  man's  being,  the  issue  is  at 
once  shifted  by  the  doctrine  of  evolution  from  the  idea  of 
man  as  a  separate  individual  to  that  of  man  as  a  part  of 
the  entire  cosmic  order.  Not  man  in  himself,  but  man  in 
his  relation  to  the  all-embracing  world  of  life,  now  be- 
comes the  almost  exclusive  point-of-view  from  which  the 
problem  of  eternity  presents  itself.  At  the  heart  of  the 
whole  matter  is  the  universe,  and  not  merely  an  individual, 
or  group  of  individuals,  within  this  universe.  If  im- 
mortality is  ever  to  be  established  at  all,  it  must  hence- 
forth be  upon  the  basis  not  of  the  peculiar  powers  and 
purposes  resident  within  the  human  soul  as  a  separate 
spiritual  entity,  but  of  the  whole  significance  of  that  stu- 
pendous evolutionary  process,  of  which  the  development 
of  the  soul  is  but  a  single  incident.  Not  the  argument 


OUR    JOE  79 

from  man,  but  the  argument  from  the  cosmos,  must  be 
now  the  deciding  factor! 

"Looked  at  from  this  point-of-view,  man  takes  on  at 
once  an  altogether  remarkable  significance  as  an  organic 
being.  Here  in  this  universe,  evolution  tells  us,  a  great 
energy  and  spirit — self-existent,  eternal,  infinite,  con- 
scious, intelligent,  purposeful — has  been  living  through 
unnumbered  aeons  of  time,  and  manifesting  itself  in  ever 
higher  and  nobler  forms  of  created  life.  These  manifesta- 
tions have  always  been  controlled  by  the  unvarying  law  of 
development — movement,  that  is,  from  the  lower  to  the 
higher,  from  the  simple  to  the  complex,  'from  the  homo- 
geneous to  the  heterogeneous/  to  quote  the  familiar  gen- 
eralization of  Herbert  Spencer.  Manifesting  itself  first  as 
a  mere  particle  of  protoplasm,  in  unicellular  form,  it  has 
grown  and  expanded,  has  moved  step  by  step,  ever  upward 
and  onward,  from  the  inorganic  to  the  organic,  from  the 
vegetable  to  the  animal,  from  the  invertebrate  to  the 
vertebrate,  from  the  fish  and  bird  to  the  mammal  and 
primate,  until,  at  last,  after  millions  of  centuries  of  time, 
man  has  appeared — and  with  him  the  process  has  appar- 
ently stopped !  No  higher  type  of  life  has  been  evolved, 
nor  is  there  any  indication  that  such  a  type  will  ever  ap- 
pear. Progress  still  continues,  of  course,  but  it  is  no 
longer  physical,  but  mental  and  spiritual,  and,  as  such,  is 
within  man,  and  not  beyond  him." 

Says  John  Fiske,  in  The  Destiny  of  Man,  pages  31-32 : 
"On  earth  there  will  never  be  a  higher  creature  than 
man  .  .  .  for  man  is  still  the  goal  toward  which  nature 
tended  from  the  beginning.  ...  He  who  has  mastered 
the  Darwinian  theory  sees  that  in  the  deadly  struggle  for 
existence,  which  has  raged  through  countless  aeons  of 
time,  the  whole  creation  has  been  groaning  and  travailing 
together  in  order  to  bring  forth  the  last  consummate 
specimen  of  God's  handiwork — the  human  soul." 

And  George  Eliot  puts  the  same  great  conclusion  into 
poetic  phrase,  when  she  says : 


80 


OUR   JOE 


I,  too,  rest  in  faith 

That  man's  perfection  is  the  crowning  flower, 
Toward  which  the  urgent  sap  in  life's  great  tree 
Is  pressing — seen  in  puny  blossom  now, 
But  in  the  world's  great  morrow  to  expand 
With  broadest  petals  and  with  deepest  glow. 

Now  if  this  exaltation  of  man  means  anything  at  all, 
it  means  that  a  steady  purpose  has  been  rising  through  all 
the  innumerable  changing  forms  of  life,  and  that  man  is 
the  fulfillment  of  this  purpose.  It  means  that  man  is  the 
end  of  all  things,  the  goal  toward  which  nature  has  beer 
tending  from  the  beginning,  the  "one  far-off  divine  event, 
toward  which  the  whole  creation"  has  ever,  moved.  It 
means  that  all  which  has  preceded  him  has  been  but  the 
preparation  for  his  coming — that  all  the  aeons  of  creative 
time  have  been  fashioning  the  globe  only  that  it  might 
become  his  fitting  habitation — that  all  plants  and  trees 
have  flourished,  all  fishes  swum  the  sea,  all  birds  coursed 
through  the  air,  all  animals  struggled  and  fought  for 
supremacy  in  life's  battle,  only  that  man  might  be  the  per- 
fect creature,  physical,  mental,  spiritual,  that  we  see  hiro 
at  the  present  moment.  "So  far  from  degrading  human- 
ity," says  John  Fiske,  "the  doctrine  of  evolution  enlarges 
tenfold  the  significance  of  human  life  and  places  it  upon 
an  even  loftier  eminence"  than  even  priests  and  prophets 
have  imagined.  It  makes  man  "the  heir  of  all  the  ages," 
the  inheritor  of  all  the  strength  and  power  and  beauty  of 
the  entire  cosmic  process.  It  ennobles  him  as  the  quintes- 
sence of  all  the  life  of  all  the  world,  the  embodiment  of 
everything  that  has  gone  before,  the  fulfillment  and  reve- 
lation of  the  universe.  It  gives  him  a  kinship  with  all 
things  that  be,  and  thus  endows  him  with  a  universal 
ancestry.  Lowell  boasts  that  he  can  count  the  trees 
"among  his  far  progenitors" ;  Shelley  addresses  the  sky- 
lark, Bryant  the  water-fowl,  and  Burns  the  field-mouse, 
as  kindred  spirits ;  Wordsworth  feels  in  nature 

....  a  presence  that  disturbs  me  with  the  joy 

Of  elevated  thoughts:  a  sense  sublime 

Of  something  far  more  deeply  interfused. 

Therefore  .  .  .  am  I  still 

A  lover  of  the  meadows  and  the  woods 

And  mountains. 


OUR   JOE  81 

And  now  we  find,  according  to  evolution,  that  these 
fantastic  visions  of  the  poets  are  sober  truth.  The  whole 
universe,  with  its  myriad  forms  of  life,  has  joined  together 
for  the  making  of  the  human  soul — we  are  what  we  are, 
in  thought  and  emotion,  in  ideal  and  aspiration,  in  the 
mind  that  thinks  and  the  heart  that  feels  and  the  soul  that 
dreams  its  dreams  and  sees  its  visions,  because  we  have 
grown,  little  by  little,  step  by  step,  part  by  part,  in  and 
through  and  out  of  all  that  has  gone  before.  "No  poet's 
fancy/'  says  Mr.  J.  T.  Sunderland  in  The  Spark  in  the 
Clod,  "ever  dreamed  such  exaltation  for  man  as  science 
in  our  day,  in  the  light  of  evolution,  is  declaring  to  be 
verified  fact." 

From  the  first,  faint  glimmerings  of  life,  then,  all 
things  have  been  working  toward  this  one  mighty  goal — 
the  production  of  man,  with  his  art  and  poetry  and  music, 
his  cities  and  kingdoms,  his  civilizations  and  religions. 
And  now  arises  instantly  the  fateful  question,  inevitable 
in  the  circumstances — what  does  all  this  mean?  Has  all 
this  been  done  for  nothing?  Is  all  this  ceaseless  toil  of 
the  ages  to  no  permanent  end?  Has  all  this  "groaning 
and  travailing"  of  the  whole  creation  for  millions  upon 
millions  of  centuries  past  brought  forth  nothing  but  this 
transient  creature  man,  who  lives  his  few  brief  days  upon 
the  earth  and  then  vanishes  forever,  like  Prospero's  "un- 
substantial pageant,"  leaving  "not  a  rack  behind"?  The 
material  body  of  man  is,  as  we  know,  cast  aside  and 
returns  unto  the  dust  from  which  it  came.  Astronomers 
tell  us  that  that  dreadful  day  is  sure  to  come  when  the 
earth  shall  at  last  be  swallowed  up  by  the  sun,  the  solar 
system  be  shattered  to  ruin,  the  heavens  themselves  vanish 
"like  a  flaming  scroll,"  and  all  the  material  universe  again 
be  merged  into  the  original  fire-mist  from  which  it  first 
evolved.  And  now,  in  the  face  of  this  stupendous  cata- 
clysm, there  comes  the  question,  does  this  utter  dissolu- 
tion of  gross  matter  involve  also  the  dissolution  of  the 
intellectual,  emotional,  and  spiritual  nature  of  man? 
Does  man's  soul,  in  other  words — this  soul  which  is  the 
supreme  goal  towards  which  all  the  creative  energy  has 


82  OUR    JOE 

been  ever  moving — perish  even  as  the  dust  of  the  earth? 
Has  all  this  work  of  untold  centuries,  of  millions  upon 
millions  of  years  of  time,  been  done  for  nothing?  Has 
chaos  been  reduced  to  order,  this  order  fashioned  into  the 
"matchless  architecture  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth," 
this  structure  clothed  upon  with  life,  this  life  unfolded 
into  the  wonder  of  flower  and  tree,  the  beauty  of  fish  and 
bird,  the  miracle  of  man  with  his  erect  posture,  his  speak- 
ing tongue,  his  dreaming  mind,  his  loving  heart,  his  aspir- 
ing soul — that  this  last  great  miracle  may  continue  only 
through  life's  little  span  and  then  cease  forevermore  ? 

Such  a  conclusion  as  this,  in  the  light  of  human 
reason,  is  impossible.  It  is  mere  madness  to  conceive  of 
such  a  useless  ending  of  the  world — such  a  vain  and 
empty  outcome  of  the  cosmic  process.  Just  to  assert  that 
the  universe  has  been  laboring  for  a  million  years  to  no 
permanent  end  is  to  confess  to  lunacy.  What,  for  instance, 
would  we  think  of  a  painter  who  should  spend  a  lifetime 
upon  some  great  canvas — toiling  through  weary  days  and 
sleepless  nights  upon  a  masterpiece  of  creative  workman- 
ship— only  to  display  it  for  a  single  day  to  an  admiring 
world  and  then  to  slash  it  into  bits?  What  would  we 
think  of  a  musician  who  should  devote  his  years  to  the 
composition  of  a  great  opera,  that  sounded  the  deepest 
depths  and  smote  the  loftiest  heights  of  inspired  song — 
only  to  produce  it  for  a  single  night  and  then  destroy  it 
forever?  What  would  we  think  of  an  inspired  poet,  who 
should  labor  from  youth  to  old  age  upon  some  great  epic, 
which  ran  the  whole  gamut  of  human  passion  and  scaled 
the  farthest  peaks  of  human  idealism — only  to  read  his 
noble  lines  to  the  listening  ears  of  men  for  one  litle  day, 
and  then  to  give  his  manuscript  to  the  flames  ?  And  what, 
in  the  same  way,  would  we  think  of  God,  if  he  has  toiled 
all  these  aeons  and  at  the  last  has  produced  that  "consum- 
mate specimen  of  his  handiwork,  the  human  soul,"  only  to 
destroy  it  after  one  fleeting  moment  of  existence  ?  Even 
to  imagine  such  a  thing  of  God  and  of  his  world  is  im- 
possible. The  cosmic  process  through  all  these  ages  must 
have  been  working  to  some  permanent  end,  and  must 


OUR   JOE  83 

have  been  seeking  some  abiding  achievement — and  what 
can  this  be  but  a  soul  that  shall  never  die?  Evolution 
leads  straight  to  immortality,  or  it  leads  nowhere.  Evo- 
lution leads  to  the  eternal  life  as  the  next  step  in  the  un- 
folding process,  else  there  is  no  such  unfolding  process. 
The  human  soul  is  immortal,  else  God  is  mad  and  evolu- 
tion itself  a  baseless  dream. 

"The  more  thoroughly  we  comprehend  the  process  of 
evolution  (says  John  Fiske,  as  the  final  result  of  his  sur- 
vey of  the  whole  evolutionary  process),  the  more  we  are 
likely  to  feel  that  to  deny  the  everlasting  persistence  of 
the  spiritual  element  in  man  is  to  rob  the  whole  process  of 
its  meaning.  It  goes  far  toward  putting  us  to  permanent 
intellectual  confusion.  (See  The  Destiny  of  Man,  pages 
115,  116.")" 

To  the  evolutionist,  therefore,  the  denial  of  immor- 
tality is  "an  intolerable  thought."  There  must,  in  the 
very  nature  of  the  case,  be  a  future  life  for  the  human 
soul,  in  order  to  justify  the  universal  order,  if  nothing 
more.  For  if  evolution  has  taught  us  anything  it  has  cer- 
tainly taught  us  that  the  laws  which  govern  the  universe 
are  reasonable;  that  the  evolutionary  process  is  guided 
by  a  rational  idea  and  controlled  by  a  moral  purpose ;  that 
the  creative  energy,  through  all  the  ages  past,  has  been 
moving  toward  the  attainment  of  something  definite  and 
something  also  permanent.  And  that  "something"  is 
surely  nothing  other  than  that  which  is  the  flower  and 
fruit  of  all  unfolding  life — the  aspiring  soul  of  man. 
When  the  earth  has  again  been  reduced  to  liquid  fire, 
when  the  heavens  have  again  "rolled  together  like  a  flam- 
ing scroll,"  and  all  the  labor  of  the  ages  has  ended  in 
the  fire-mist  of  chaos,  when  darkness  has  again  enveloped 
an  unformed  world  and  silence  is  again  brooding  upon 
the  empty  spaces  of  the  deep — all  shall  not  be  lost,  all  this 
age-long  process  shall  not  have  been  in  vain.  There  shall 
still  remain  the  soul  of  man  as  the  evidence  of  what  God 
has  done;  there  shall  still  survive  the  wreckage  of  space 
and  time  the  human  spirit,  as  the  supreme  and  indestruc- 
tible product  of  God's  creative  handiwork.  If  the  universe 


84  OUR   JOE 

is  rational — and  evolution  proves  to  us  that  it  is — the 
soul  of  man  must  be  immortal,  and  must  endure  even 
when  the  sun  is  cold,  the  stars  extinguished,  and  the  earth 
dissolved  to  nothing.  It  cannot  be  otherwise  within  the 
bounds  of  human  reason ;  else  is  the  world  a  delusion,  the 
evolutionary  process  "a  vanity  of  vanities,"  and  God  him- 
self an  unproductive  and  hence  unintelligent  workman. 
It  is  this  which  Dr.  Fiske  means  when  he  gives  us,  as 
his  credo,  "I  believe  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul  as  a 
supreme  act  of  faith  in  the  reasonableness  of  God's  work !" 
THERE  IS  NO  DEATH 

"There  is  no  death!     The  stars  go  down 

To  rise  upon  some  fairer  shore, 
And  bright  in  heaven's  jeweled  crown 

They  shine  for  evermore. 

There  is  no  death!     The  leaves  may  fall, 
The  flowers  may  fade  and  pass  away; 

They  only  wait  through  wintry  hours 
The  coming  of  the  May. 

There  is  no  death!     An  angel  form 

Walks  o'er  the  earth  with  silent  tread ; 

He  bears  our  best  loved  things  away, 
And  then  we  call  them  dead. 

He  leaves  our  hearts  all  desolate, 

He  plucks  our  fairest,  sweetest  flowers ; 

Transplanted  into  bliss  they  now 
Adorn  immortal  bowers. 

The  bird-like  voice,  whose  joyous  tones 

Made  glad  these  scenes  of  sin  and  strife, 

Sings  now  an  everlasting  song 
Amid  the  trees  of  life. 

And  where  he  sees  a  smile  too  bright 

Or  heart  too  pure  for  taint  and  vice, 

He  bears  it  to  that  world  of  light, 
To  dwell  in  Paradise. 

Born  unto  that  undying  life, 

They  leave  us  but  to  come  again; 

With  joy  we  welcome  them  the  same, 
Except  in  sin  and  pain. 

And  ever  near  us,  though  unseen, 

The  dear  immortal  spirits  tread; 
For  all  the  boundless  universe 

Is  Life — there  are  no  dead." 


OUR   JOE  85 

CHAPTER  VI. 
INVESTIGATIONS  IN  PSYCHIC  RESEARCH 

Report  of  our  first  table  sitting,  in  our  own  home, 
904  Brush  St.,  Oakland,  California,  Saturday  evening, 
September  17,  1921. 

We  had  been  discussing  the  question  of  life  after 
death,  immortality,  materialism,  Spiritualism,  and  Psychic 
Research.  We  talked  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Society 
for  Psychical  Research,  of  ''Raymond,"  by  Sir  Oliver 
Lodge,  of  Dr.  Hyslop,  Frederick  W.  H.  Myers,  Lombroso, 
Alfred  Russell  Wallace,  and  the  other  distinguished  scien- 
tific exponents  of  the  belief  in  Spirit  Return.  I  remarked 
to  my  mother,  "Would  you  like  to  try  some  experiments  in 
table  tipping?" 

My  wife  and  I  had  tried  out  these  experiments  before, 
but  mostly  in  a  spirit  of  sheer  curiosity,  and  largely  in 
fun.  We  had  witnessed  only  one  phenomenon :  one  night 
in  Oklahoma  City,  while  I  was  minister  of  the  Commun- 
ity House  Branch  of  the  Pilgrim  Congregational  Church, 
we  were  having  a  meeting  of  the  Sunday  School  teachers 
at  the  parsonage.  After  the  meeting  we  tried  some  "Mind 
Reading  Stunts/'  and  then  four  of  us  sat  around  the 
kitchen  table  and  waited  for  the  "spirits." 

Much  to  our  surprise,  and  to  the  real  fright  of  two 
of  those  around  the  table,  we  had  been  sitting  there  about 
twenty  minutes  when  the  table  tilted  off  the  floor  fully 
six  inches,  and  did  this  three  times.  We  were  not  able 
to  get  anything  in  the  way  of  a  message,  or  even  of  ques- 
tions and  answers,  but  we  did  see  a  table  lifted  off  the 
floor  without  any  muscular  or  other  human  energy 
whatever. 

My  mother  assured  me  that  she  would  like  to  try  for 
a  sitting,  so  we  gathered  our  chairs  around  the  little  stand- 
table,  dimming  the  light,  and  placing  our  hands  very 
lightly  on  the  table,  and  waited  for  results. 

There  were  three  of  us  in  the  sitting:  myself,  my 
wife,  and  my  mother.  In  the  report  of  the  sittings  the 
initials  of  the  sitters  will  be  used :  e.g.,  C.  S.  M.  for 


86  OUR    JOE 

Charles  S.  Mundell,  M.  L.  M.  for  Margaret  Louise  Mun- 
dell,  and  V.  M  .M.  for  Verna  May  Mundell. 

Our  hands  barely  touched  the  table,  for  the  three  of 
us  being  members  of  the  same  family,  and  all  of  us  shar- 
ing a  common  loss  and  grief,  we  were  profoundly  inter- 
ested in  receiving  actual  results.  Under  such  circum- 
stances the  reader  will  agree  that  it  is  preposterous  to 
suppose  that  any  one  of  the  three  of  us  would  deliberately 
practice  trickery  or  deception  upon  the  rest  of  us.  Not 
one  of  the  three  desired  other  than  to  know  whether  or 
not  it  was  possible  for  the  Spirits  of  the  Dead  to  com- 
municate with  the  living  through  the  mechanism  of  the 
table. 

The  seance  was  opened  with  prayer — earnest,  rever- 
ent, humble  prayer.  This  was  for  the  purpose  of  creating 
the  right  conditions;  to  eliminate  all  elements  of  sheer 
curiosity,  fear,  and  irreverence ;  and  to  prevent  deception 
by  the  impersonation  of  evil  spirits. 

It  has  been  claimed  by  some  Divines  that  all  such 
phenomena  is  the  work  of  evil  spirits — devils — and  that  it 
all  comes  from  Satan,  and  for  the  purpose  of  deceiving  and 
damning  immortal  souls. 

I  cannot  believe  that  God  would  permit  such  decep- 
tion after  earnest,  reverent  prayer,  in  which  there  was 
eager,  broken-hearted  petition  for  protection  and  en- 
lightenment. Like  attracts  like,  and  it  is  inconceivable  to 
me  that  earnest  souls,  bowed  in  prayer,  could  attract  evil 
or  malicious  influences. 

From  the  very  depths  of  our  sorrow-burdened  hearts 
we  prayed  that,  if  possible,  some  message  might  come  to 
us  from  the  other  side  of  the  veil. 

We  sat  thus  for  about  a  half  hour  with  no  response 
whatever.  We  were  beginning  to  think  we  were  going 
to  be  disappointed.  Pushing  back  my  chair,  I  said,  "Well, 
maybe  there  is  no  one  of  us  possessing  sufficient  medium- 
istic  power  to  enable  the  spirits  to  get  through." 

My  mother  urged  that  we  continue  our  sitting  longer. 
Said  she :  "I  have  read  in  books  where  sitters  remained 
quiet  for  hours,  waiting  for  manifestations.  Let  us  con- 
tinue a  while  longer." 


OUR   JOE  87 

It  was  hardly  fifteen  minutes  after  this  that  we  all 
became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  table  was  quivering 
and  vibrating  like  something  alive.  We  were  all  keyed  up 
to  a  pitch  of  excitement  and  expectancy.  Then,  with 
apparent  difficulty,  the  little  table  was  visibly  lifted  off 
two  of  its  legs,  perhaps  two  or  three  inches  from  the  floor. 

This  was  done  several  times. 

Question  by  C.  S.  M.  "Is  there  some  Spirit  present 
who  will  give  us  a  message  from  the  Spirit-side  of  life? 
If  so,  let  it  be  agreed  that  three  tilts  of  the  table  shall  con- 
stitute 'Yes/  and  one  tilt  shall  constitute  the  sign  for 
'No.' " 

The  table  slowly  tilted  three  times. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Will  you  tilt  the  table  towards  the  one  you 
wish  to  act  as  Medium  in  this  sitting  tonight?" 

The  table  tilted  toward  C.  S.  M.  The  same  question 
was  asked  in  several  different  ways,  with  the  table  tilting 
in  my  direction  each  time. 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  dear  one,  I  will  agree  to  act  as 
the  Medium,  although  I  didn't  know  I  had  any  such 
powers.  Now  will  you  tell  us  who  you  are?" 

Answer:     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Will  you  tilt  table  at  each  letter  of  the 
alphabet  which  spells  your  name,  as  I  slowly  call  over 
the  letters?" 

Answer:     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H"— table  slowly,  and 
with  seeming  difficulty  tilted  at  the  letter  H. 

"A"— table  again  tilted. 

"A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  J,  K,  L,  M,  N,  0,  P,  Q,  R" 
— table  tilted,  a  little  more  slowly,  at  "R." 

The  name  of  my  dear  Grandmother  my  mother's 
mother,  was  Harriet.  This  dear  soul  had  passed  from 
earth-life  over  two  years  before,  after  being  lame  for  two 
years,  as  a  result  of  a  fall.  When  the  table  had  tilted  at 
the  letters  "H-A-R"  we  all  thought,  "It's  going  to  spell 
'Harriet,'  "  so  I  interrupted  with : 

"Is  this  Grandma?" 

Answer :    "Yes." 


88 


OUR    JOE 


V.  M.  M. :     "Well,mother  dear,  we're  so  glad  you 
came  tonight!" 

H.  M.  P.  (Harriet  Moss  Painter)  Answer:    "Yes." 
C.  S.  M. :     "Are  you  happy,  Grandma?" 
"Yes." 
"Mother  dear,  is  our  precious  Joe  with 


H.  M.P.: 
V.  M.  M. : 
you  now?" 
H.  M.P.: 
V.  M.  M. : 
H.  M.P.: 
V.  M.  M. : 
C.S.  M.: 


Ans.   "Yes." 

"How  is  he,  mother?  Is  he  happy,  too?" 
"Yes."    Emphatically. 
"Thank  God!" 

"Have  you  been  with  brother  all  the  time 
since  he  came  over  to  your  world  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :  "Yes."  Tilted  vigorously,  as  though  she 
were  gaing  strength  and  momentum. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Mother  dear,  can  Joe  come  to  us  through 
the  table?" 

Table  tilted  about  two  inches  off  the  floor,  remained 
poised  for  several  seconds,  raised  higher,  quivered  and 
vibrated  as  though  pausing  or  hesitating  before  answer- 
ing, then  slowly  descended,  once,  which  we  understood 
to  mean  "No." 

V.  M.  M. :     "I  wonder  why?"    (Comment) 

M.  L.  M. :  "Perhaps  it's  because  he  hasn't  been  over 
there  long  enough,  or  hasn't  developed  sufficient 
strength !" 

Without  any  further  question  or  comment  from  us, 
the  table  tilted  three  times,  as  though  the  Spirit  had  heard 
my  wife's  half-question,  half-comment,  and  would  answer 
it  "Yes,  that's  correct!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Will  Joe  ever  be  able  to  come  to  us 
through  the  table?" 

H.  M.  P. :  (Slowly,  as  with  apparent  hesistancy) 
"Y-es!" 

V.  M.  M. :  "You  will  help  Joe  to  learn  how  to 
manipulate  the  table,  won't  you,  mother?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Grandma,   did  you   know,   before  Joe's 


OUR   JOE  89 

accident,  that  he  was  going  to  be  killed?  That  is,  did  you 
have  any  fore-knowledge  of  it?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  (Surprised)  "You  mean  you  didn't  know 
anything  about  it  until  it  happened?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Then  you  don't  know  everything  when 
you  reach  the  Spirit- wo  rid  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :      (Decidedly)  "No!" 

V.  M.  M. :  "Mother  dear,  was  our  precious  Joe  sur- 
prised, and  bewildered,  when  he  saw  you,  and  realized 
that  he  was  in  the  Spirit- world?" 

H.  M.  P. :      (Slowly,  as  though  sadly)  "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Who  was  the  first  one  to  reach  Joe,  when 
he  found  himself  in  the  Spirit-world.  Was  it  you?" 

H.  M.  P.:      (Emphatically)    "Yes!" 

V.  M.  M. :     "Of  course  she  was,  bless  her  heart!" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Are  you  getting  tired,  Grandma?" 

H.  M.  P.:      (Vigorously)    "No!" 

V.  M.  M. :  "You  want  us  to  go  on  asking  questions, 
mother?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "All  right,  mother  dear !  Are  you  glad  to 
come  to  us  in  this  way  tonight?" 

H.  M.  P.:  "(Table  tilted  three  times,  the  two  legs 
striking  the  floor  each  time)  "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Have  you  wanted  to  come  to  us  before?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Have  you  ever  come  through  to  any  of  us 
before?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Was  it  through  Mrs.  Mertz,  in  Oklahoma 
City,  when  she  told  Charles  she  saw  Grandmother  stand- 
ing beside  him,  that  time  we  attended  her  meeting  in  the 
Terminal  Building?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Is  that  the  only  time?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 


90 


OUR   JOE 


C.  S.  M. :     "Grandma,  where  is  the  Spirit-world?    Is 
it  very  far  away  ?    (from  us) ." 
H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

"Is  it  all  around  us,  and  and  about  us, 


C.  S.  M.: 

everywhere  ?" 

H.M.P.: 

V.  M.  M. : 

mother?" 

H.  M.  P.: 
C.  S.  M.: 


"Yes." 

"Is  it  a  better  plane,  or  world,  than  this, 


"Yes." 

"Grandma,  when  Joe  was  here  with  us  in 
the  earth-life,  he  was  very  fond  of  music — especially  the 
player-piano.  Have  you  any  music  in  the  Spirit- world  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :     (Emphatically)  "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Ma,  ask  Joe  if  he  is  sorry  he  had  to  go  so 
young,  when  his  life  seemed  to  promise  so  much  of 
pleasure  and  enjoyment?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :     "You  mean  Joe  is  not  sorry?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Mother  dear,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question 
about  the  accident.  Did  Joe  have  any  trouble,  or  any 
misunderstanding,  with  any  of  the  members  of  the  hunt- 
ing party,  at  any  time  during  the  trip  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  was  perfectly  friendly,  was  it,  Grand- 
ma?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Grandma,  the  papers  (newspapers)  wrote 
up  a  lot  of  stuff  about  Joe's  being  lost  for  several  days, 
and  being  hungry,  and  utterly  exhausted,  before  the  trag- 
edy, and  that  he  might  have  ended  his  own  life.  Was 
there  any  truth  whatever  in  that?" 

H.  M.  P. :      (Very  loudly  and  emphatically)  "No !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "It  was  purely  an  accident,  and  no  one  else 
had  anything  to  do  with  his  death  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Does  Joe  know  where  his  papa  is  now?" 

H.  M.%P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Is  he  in  Los  Angeles  ?" 


H.  M.  P. 
M.  L.  M. 
H.  M.  P. 


OUR   JOE  91 

"No." 

"Maybe  he  is  on  the  train,  coming  home.' 

"Yes." 


My  father  had  been  called  to  Los  Angeles  in  connec- 
tion with  his  work  as  General  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Pro- 
tective Board  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Carmen,  to 
adjust  some  grievances.  He  arrived  in  Oakland  the  next 
morning,  thus  proving  that  the  intelligence  operating  the 
table  was  correct  in  saying  he  was  on  the  train. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Are  there  any  other  Spirits  with  you 
now,  mother?" 

H.  M.  P.:     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Is  our  little  boy,  Willie,  who  died  when 
he  was  a  baby,  there  with  you?" 

H.M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M. :     "And  is  our  little  girl  Annie  with  you  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

My  sister  Annie  was  the  first  child  born  to  my  par- 
ents. She  was  two  years  older  than  I,  or  would  have  been 
had  she  lived.  She  lived  to  be  three  months  old.  I  never 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  my  sister,  as  she  died  before 
I  was  born. 

Between  Annie  and  me  there  was  a  little  boy  pre- 
maturely born,  whose  pre-natal  development  had  reached 
the  fifth  month. 

V.  M.  M. :  "And  is  Grandpa  Mundell  there  with  you, 
also?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

At  the  time  of  this  sitting  Grandmother  Mundell  was 
in  very  feeble  health ;  in  fact,  having  reached  the  age  of 
83,  and  having  been  the  mother  of  thirteen  children,  eleven 
of  whom  are  still  living,  and  one  of  whom  (George) 
reached  the  age  of  1  Syears,  she  was  slowly,  painlessly, 
dying  of  old  age. 

Question  by  V.  M.  M. :  "Does  Grandpa  Mundell  know 
the  condition  his  wife  is  in  now  ?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Does  he  know  exactly  when  she  will  pass 
into  Spirit-life?" 


92  OUR   JOE 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  mean  to  say  Grandpa  Mundell  does 
not  know  when  his  companion  will  join  him?" 

H.  M.  P.:  "No."  (Probably,  "No,  he  does  not 
know.") 

C.  S.  M. :     "Does  he  think  it  will  not  be  long?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M.  :  "That  is,  he  thinks  she  will  soon  join  him 
in  the  Spirit-world?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Mother,  have  you  seen  Pa's  father,  Sam 
Painter,  in  the  Spirit-world?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

May  I  say  by  way  of  explanation  that  my  Great- 
Grandfather  had  disappeared  from  a  ship,  under  very 
mysterious  circumstances.  Neither  his  wife,  nor  any  of 
his  survivors  ever  knew  exactly  what  became  of  him; 
whether  he  was  murdered  and  thrown  overboard  by 
enemies,  or  accidently  fell  overboad,  or  what.  All  that 
was  definitely  known  was  as  follows : 

(Here  is  the  story  as  told  by  my  Grandfather,  /.  S. 
Painter) 

"My  father  and  two  of  mother's  brothers,  John  and 
Joe  Harry,  were  working  on  a  freight  boat,  which  plyed 
the  Ohio  river. 

"At  the  time  of  my  father's  disappearance  they  were 
bound  for  Louisville,  Ky.  My  father  had  had  some  dis- 
agreement, or  trouble  with  an  Irish  deckhand.  He  had 
ordered  this  Irishman  to  perform  some  duty.  The  man 
was  drinking,  and  refused.  There  would  have  been  a  fight, 
but  the  others  would  not  permit  it.  My  father  was  very 
angry.  Everytime  he  got  angry,  it  made  him  sick.  So 
after  the  row  was  over,  he  went  and  laid  down  on  the  deck 
of  the  boat,  and  probably  went  to  sleep.  When  he  was 
needed  his  brothers-in-law  asked  the  Irishman,  'Where 
is  Sam?' 

"The  Irishman  replied:  'He  is  lying  down  asleep. 
I'll  go  and  wake  him  up.' 


OUR   JOE  93 

"The  man  departed,  but  did  not  return  with  my 
father.  After  awhile  my  two  uncles  went  to  look  for  him, 
but  all  they  found  was  his  hat. 

"They  suspected  the  Irishman  of  having  thrown,  or 
pushed  him  overboard,  but  they  had  no  proof.  At  any 
rate,  the  Irishman  disappeared  after  that,  and  was  never 
heard  of  since.  The  river  was  dragged  for  my  father's 
body,  but  it  was  never  recovered.  We  never  knew  whether 
he  accidentally  fell  overboard,  or  whether  this  Irishman 
pushed  him  over,  or  whether  he  committed  suicide,  or 
what." 


V.  M.  M. 


us,  how  Grandfather  Painter  met  his  death?" 


H.  M.  P. 
V.  M.  M. 
H.  M.  P. 
V.  M.  M. 
H.  M.  P. 
C.  S.  M. : 
H.  M.  P. 
V.  M.  M. 
H.  M.  P. 
V.  M.  M. 
H.  M.  P. 


"Mother,  do  you  know,  and  can  you  tell 


"Yes." 

"Was  he  murdered?" 

"No." 

"Did  he  jump  overboard?" 

"No." 

"Was  it  an  accident?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  he  fall  overboard,  and  drown  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Have  you  seen  Grandma  Stoneking?" 

"Yes." 


My  Great-Grandmother,  wife  of  Great-Grandpa 
Painter,  married  again,  over  a  year  later,  a  man  by  name 
of  Elijah  Stoneking.  It  was  therefore  my  Grandfather's 
mother  to  whom  H.  M.  P.  referred. 

V.  M.  M. :  "And  Mother  dear,  is  your  own  little  boy 
Charley  with  you  now?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "And  your  brother  Frank,  is  he  with 
you." 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Have  you  seen  my  father,  Herman 
Brunke?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

My  wife's  father  was  killed  by  falling  from  a  high 
building  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  He  was  a  bricklayer, 


94  OUR   JOE 

and  was  thought  to  have  stepped  backwards  off  the  edge 
of  the  building  under  construction.  He  was  killed  when 
Margaret  was  only  about  four  years  old. 

M.  L.  M. :     "Is  my  father  there  with  you  now?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 

This  answer  was  a  complete  surprise  to  us  all.  It 
was  the  only  instance  where  she  answered  that  the  spirit 
named  was  not  there.  Therefore,  it  does  not  seem  rea- 
sonable to  imagine  that  the  table-tipping  could  have  been, 
occasioned  by  our  own  unconscious  psychic  powers. 

Furthermore,  the  tipping  itself  was  by  no  means  uni- 
form. Sometimes  the  answers  were  very  emphatic ;  some- 
times they  were  slow  and  deliberate;  sometimes  they 
seemed  doubtful,  or  uncertain.  Thru-out  the  whole  of 
the  sitting  the  table  behaved  just  like  a  living  creature. 
Sometimes  the  table  remained  suspended  on  two  legs  as 
tho  waiting  for  us  to  repeat,  or  to  make  clearer,  what  it 
was  we  wished  to  say.  It  betrayed  emotion,  humor,  hesi- 
tancy, impatience,  and  all  those  characteristic  things 
which  might  be  expected  under  the  circumstances. 

M.  L.  M. :  "Is  my  father  on  the  same  plane  of  spirit- 
life  that  you  are?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Is  Grandpa  MundelPs  son  George  there 
with  you  all?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "And  is  his  little  girl  with  him  too?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

After  this  question  the  table  seemed  unable  to  tilt,  tho 
it  made  a  number  of  attempts. 

M.  L.  M. :     "Maybe  she  is  tired  ?" 

Table  answered  by  three  tilts,  but  slowly,  and  with 
difficulty. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Mother,  dear,  do  you  want  to  say  good- 
night?" 

H.M.P.:     "Yes." 

After  this  "goodnights"  were  said  all  round,  and  the 
table  responded  with  two  raps,  as  tho  to  say,  Good  Night. 


OUR   JOE  95 

CHAPTER  VII 

Report  of  sitting  with  Rev.  Mrs.  Emma  Nanning,  at 
543  35th  St.,  Oakland,  California,  Monday,  Sept.  19,  1921, 
at  11  o'clock. 

By  Charles  S.  Mundell 

On  the  morning  of  September  19,  1921,  I  telephoned 
to  Mrs.  Emma  Nanning,  Spiritualist  Medium,  and  pastor 
of  the  Spiritual  Church  of  Truth  and  Light,  Oakland, 
simply  stating  that  I  would  be  glad  to  have  a  sitting  with 
her  that  morning.  She  named  eleven  o'clock  as  the  hour, 
and  at  the  appointed  time  I  was  there. 

When  I  was  ushered  into  the  room  where  the  sitting 
was  to  be  held  I  gave  the  medium  no  name,  other  than 
the  fact  that  I  was  a  Congregational  Minister  making  an 
investigation  of  Spiritualism  and  Psychic  Phenomena. 
After  being  seated  on  the  opposite  side  of  a  small  table 
the  seance  began : 

Mrs.  Nanning :  "When  you  came  into  this  room  I  saw 
a  spirit  come  with  you — the  spirit  of — of — (someone  very 
rear  to  you — yes,  he  says,  he  is  very  near  to  you)'*  And 
then,  with  no  encouragement  from  me  she  continued: 
"You  have  a  brother  who  has  just  recently  passed  into  the 
Smrit-  wo  rid  ?  Yes,  he  says  he  is  your  brother — your 
brother — J-o-e.  You  have  a  brother  Joe,  just  recently 
passed  out?" 

C.  S.M.:     "Yes."   No  more. 

Mrs.  Nanning :  "This  brother  must  have  passed  out 
very  quickly — y-es,  he  shows  me  it  was  an  accident.  He 
says,  "Tell  mama  I  didn't  do  it ;  it  was  an  accident"  (pre- 
sumably referring  to  a  newspaper  account  in  the  Oak- 
land Tribune  which  suggested  that  "Lost  Hunter,  Starv- 
ing, Exhausted,  Thought  to  Have  Ended  Life) .  "I  will 
convince  Mother  I  didn't  do  it — "  (abruptly) 

Mrs.  Nanning:  "Who  is  George?  He  says  something 
about  George.  Do  you  know  anything  about  a  George?" 

I  did  not  know  who  George  was. 

She  continued :  "Joe  says  George  is  here.  Oh,  yes, 
Uncle  George.  Have  you  an  Uncle  George?" 


69  OUR   JOE 

I  had  heard  my  father  speak  of  a  brother  of  his  who 
was  dead,  but  I  did  not  know  his  name,  nor  did  I  know 
when  that  brother  had  passed  out,  or  how  old  he  was  at 
the  time  of  his  passing. 

I  answered :  "No,  I  do  not  know  Uncle  George,  but 
I  will  ask  at  home  and  find  out." 

She  continued:  "Who  is  Edward?  Joe  says  some- 
thing about  Edward  also.  He  (Edward)  does  not  seem 
to  be  in  the  Spirit  life." 

I  afterwards  learned  that  my  brother  had  a  very  dear 
friend  with  whom  he  worked  at  the  rairoad  yards,  whose 
name  was  Edward,  and  who  was  familiarly  called, 
"Eddie."  I  did  not  know  it  at  the  time,  but  I  afterward 
learned  from  my  parents  that  this  friend  had  once  been 
in  our  home,  as  my  brother's  guest. 

I  assured  the  Medium  that  I  hadn't  the  slightest  idea 
who  Edward  was,  and  she  continued : 

"Joe  shows  me  mountains — hills — or  something  like 
that — and  a  high  log — ye-s — a  high  log.  He  sits  down  on 
the  log."  Sotto  voice :  "Why  does  he  sit  down  on  a  log — 
this  way — yes,  this  way  (indicating  the  way  one  would  sit 
down  on  a  log).  Oh!  Oh!"  Mrs.  Nanning  shuddered  as 
with  extreme  horror:  "Wasn't  your  brother  killed  acci- 
dentally?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mrs.  Nanning:  "He  was  hunting — must  have  been 
hunting — he  shows  me  gun — y-es!  He  says  something 
about  a  gun.  Do  you  know  what  he  means  ?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  he  was  hunting,  and  had  a  gun." 

Mrs.  N. :  "Joe  says,  'It  is  true  we  live  again.  We  do 
not  die!'  He  says,  'he  is  glad  you  came  today.'  He  says 
'he  will  convince  mama.' 

"I  see  also  an  old  lady  hobbling  on  crutches — yes,  she 
was  lame  before  she  passed  out — do  you  recognize  her?" 

I  answered  that  I  thought  so;  that  I  had  a  Grand- 
mother in  Spirit  life — 

Mrs.  N.  (Interrupting  me)  "Yes,  yes!  Your  grand- 
mother! Not  your  father's  mother — your  mother's 


OUR   JOE 


97 


mother!     Joe  says,  'Grandma  was  the  first  to  reach  me 
when  I  got  here !'    Yes.    Yes. 

'There  also  comes  an  old  man  with  a  beard — gray 
beard — like  this  (indicating  with  her  hands  a  short  beard, 
covering  face)  and — he  rubs  his  head  this  way  (medium 
rubbed  head)  says,  'bald  head!  You  will  know  me  by 
that.'  " 


Grandfather  Mundell 
Described  by  Mrs.  Nanning. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  I  recognize  him.  It  is  my  Grand- 
father." 

Mrs.  N. :  "Yes,  yes !  He  says,  'Grandpa !  I'm  Grand- 
pa.' What's  this?  He  is  showing  me  something — looks 
like  a  medal — medal — like  this  (drawing  in  air  with 
finger)  also  blue  uniform  (excitedly)  A  soldier!  Yes! 
Yes!  That's  it.  Wasn't  he  a  soldier?" 

This  was  true.  My  paternal  grandfather  was  a  volun- 
teer of  Company  C,  32nd  Iowa  Infantry,  and  fought  in  the 


98  OUR   JOE 

Civil  War.     Whether  he  ever  received  a  medal  of  any 
kind  I  do  not  know.    Otherwise,  it  was  very  accurate. 

Some  one  may  say  that  all  this  is  very  wonderful, 
but  that  it  does  not  necessarily  prove  that  Mrs.  Nanning 
was  under  "Spirit-Control",  or  that  the  remarkably  ac- 
curate information  really  came  from  the  discarnate  Spirit 
of  my  brother,  Joe ;  that  the  medium  may  have  received 
it  from  me  telepathically ;  in  other  words,  that  she  may 
have  read  my  mind. 

However,  there  was  one  detail  connected  with  the 
reading  which  could  hardly  be  explained  by  telepathy,  and 
which  I  consider  very  evidential. 

She  said :  "About  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles  from 
where  your  brother's  body  was  found  there  is  a  cabin — 
yes,  a  little  cabin,  a  little  house.  He  saw  this  cabin  and 
intended  going  to  it  to  find  his  way  out ;  he  was  lost  for 
just  a  little  while." 

Now  I  was  familiar  with  all  the  facts  except  the 
matter  of  the  cabin,  a  mile  and  and  a  half  or  two  miles 
from  where  the  body  was  found.  I  had  never  heard  a 
word  mentioned  about  any  cabin,  nor  was  anything  pub- 
lished in  any  of  the  papers  about  a  cabin,  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  ascertain. 

My  Uncle  Oscar,  who  was  among  those  who  found 
the  body,  had  gone  to  Los  Angeles,  and  was  working  there. 
When  I  went  down  to  L.  A.,  to  attend  the  funeral  of  my 
paternal  Grandmother,  I  asked  my  Uncle :  "Oscar,  do  you 
know  if  there  was  any  cabin  or  house  anywhere  near  the 
place  you  found  Joe's  body?"  His  answer  was,  "Yes, 
there  ivas  a  little  cabin,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two 
miles  from  there,  but  I  don't  think  Joe  ever  saw,  or  knew 
anything  about,  the  house." 

Obviously,  the  Medium  could  not  have  read  from  my 
mind  the  deail  of  the  cabin,  for  it  ivasn't  in  my  mind.  I 
knew  nothing  of  it.  Had  never  heard  it  mentioned.  When 
it  was  told  to  me  I  made  a  mental  note  of  what  she  said, 
and  determined  to  use  the  point  as  a  test,  and  if  it  proved 
to  be  true  or  untrue,  to  consider  the  entire  sitting  more 
or  less  in  the  light  of  what  I  should  find  out  to  be  true. 


OUR   JOE  99 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Report  of  anonymous  sitting  with  Mrs.  Nanning, 
Medium,  at  her  home,  543  35th  street,  Oakland,  Cali- 
fornia, Saturday,  Sept.  24,  1921,  commencing  1:45  p.  m. 

When  I  related  to  my  mother  the  particulars  of  my 
sitting  with  Mrs.  Nanning,  she  was  deeply  impressed,  and 
she  expressed  her  desire  then  to  have  a  sitting  with  the 
medium  at  some  future  time. 

That  afternoon  we  received  a  telegram  from  my  Uncle 
Oscar,  father's  brother,  from  Los  Angeles,  informing  us 
that  my  father's  mother  was  at  the  point  of  death,  and  not 
expected  to  live  thru  the  day.  I  called  up  my  father  on 
the  phone  (he  was  in  his  San  Francisco  office)  and  read 
the  telegram  to  him.  Then  I  caught  a  street  car  to  Ala- 
meda,  to  break  the  news  to  another  of  father's  brothers, 
Charles  L.  Mundell.  The  three  of  us  drove  down  to  Los 
Angeles  that  night.  I  forgot  to  give  my  mother  the  name 
and  address  of  the  Medium  before  leaving  for.  Los  Angeles, 
so  she  decided  to  wait  until  I  should  return  before  seeking 
a  sitting.  Upon  my  return  the  following  Friday  night,  I 
gave  her  Mrs.  Manning's  name  and  address,  and  the  next 
day  she  and  my  wife,  Margaret  L.  Mundell,  went  for  a 
sitting.  Before  starting  my  wife  telephoned  Mrs.  Nann- 
ing, asking  if  she  would  be  at  liberty  to  give  a  "reading" 
if  they  came  right  over.  The  answer  was  in  the  affirma- 
tive. No  name  was  given  over  the  phone,  or  when  they 
arrived  at  the  house.  My  mother  was  particularly  anxious 
that  Mrs.  Nanning  should  not  know  who  they  were,  or  of 
any  connection  with  me.  She  wished  to  see  if  she  and  my 
wife  would  receive  anything  like  the  same  message  that 
was  given  to  me.  Mrs.  Nanning  positively  had  never  seen 
either  my  mother  or  my  wife,  and  when  she  invited  them 
into  her  "seance"  room  she  asked  them  no  questions  what- 
ever, nor  even  requested  their  names.  The  report  of  the 
sitting  follows,  just  as  taken  down  by  my  wife,  (who  took 
notes)  supplemented  by  explanatory  remarks,  just  as  I 
received  it  from  their  lips : 


100  OUR   JOE 

Mrs.  Nanning:  (to  mother)  I  get  an  over  anxious 
influence.  You  are  over  anxious.  Don't  be.  It  confuses. 
Just  relax.  Be  passive.  All  right,  Spirit  go  back.  Spirit 
of  man  comes.  I  want  to  explain  something.  Tries  to 
speak  thru  to  you.  Your  mother  stands  in  back  of  you. 
She  says,  'I  have  brought  Joe  to  you !  They  are  over- 
anxious— want  to  get  thru  so  bad — eager  to  give  you  mes- 
sage. You  sit  at  table — on  table — no,  at  table — made 
table — table  rock — this  way — "  (evidently  referring  to 
the  fact  that  we  had  had  a  table  sitting  in  our  own  home 
a  few  nights  before  that,  at  which  time  my  mother's 
mother  came.  Mrs.  Nanning  illustrated  by  tilting  the 
small  table  before  her) . 

She  continued:     "Harriet  says — Who  is  Harriet?" 
Mrs.  V.  M.  Mundell :     "That's  my  mother." 
Mrs.  N. :     "Yes !  Harriet  says,  'Keep  on  investigat- 
ing.   Will  come  again  thru  table.     Give  more  messages. 
It  is  all  true — it  will  be  this — we  only  change." 

•  She  hesitated,  seemingly  confused:  "I  see  tracks — 
train  tracks — he  shows  me  tracks  (Joe  evidently  speak- 
ing) Did  he  run  on  road?"  • 

V.  M.  M. :     "No,  he  did  not  run  on  the  road.' 
Joe  did  not  run  on  the  road,  but  he  did  work  around 
tracks  at  the  West  Oakland  Passenger  Yards. 


OUR   JOE 


101 


Joe  at  work  in  the  West  Oakland 
Passenger  Yards. 

Mrs.  N. :  "He  says,  'Father — does  father  run  on 
road?" 

V.  M.  M.  :"Well,  he  travels  a  great  deal,  working  for 
his  Union,  the  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Carmen.  I  sup- 
pose Joe  may  mean  that!" 

Mrs.  N. :  "Yes,  yes !  He  says  that's  it.  Joe  says, 
That's  my  mother/  (Mrs.  Nanning  pointed  finger  at  my 
mother)  Joe  says,  'Mother,  you  ought  to  be  extremely 
happy  that  I  come  to  you.  God  has  given,  and  God  has 
taken.  Perhaps  it  seems  strange,  but  it  is  so.  I've 
stepped  away  from  the  right  road  sometimes — you  know 
what  I  mean.' '  Medium  indicated  by  signs  as  tho  she 
had  a  pain  in  the  stomach,  then  asked :  "Did  Joe  drink?" 

V.  M.  M. :  "He  didn't  to  say  drink,  that  is,  he  didn't 
drink  often.  Sometimes  he  would  take  a  drink." 


• 

102'  OUR   JOE 

My  brother  did  not  touch  liquor  often,  altho  he  had 
a  natural  craving  for  alcoholic  drinks.  Whenever  he  did, 
it  always  made  him  very  sick.  That  is  probably  why  the 
medium  experienced  the  sensation  of  nausea. 

Mrs.  Nanning:  "Joe  says,  'Mama,  I  was  with  you 
this  morning.  I  didn't  want  you  to  feel  so  bad  about  me. 
Don't  think  it  was  a  fatal  trip.  I  would  have  gone  any- 
way— yes — I  went  quickly — perfectly  satisfied  I  went 
quick — I  couldn't  have  been  saved  (meaning  probably,  he 
was  instantly  killed,  and  that  nothing  could  have  been 
done  for  him  if  he  had  been  found  sooner)  I  am  born 
again,  and  extremely  happy.  You  are  wiping  out  my 
Spiritual  life  by  your  tears." 

Mrs.  N. :  "He  tries  to  tell  me  he  sat  down  some- 
where— it  fell — (sotto  voce:  What  fell?  Do  not  know 
what  fell." 

"A  woman  wants  to  come  to  you  (pointing  to  my 
wife)  Her  name  is  Elizabeth !" 

The  name  of  my  paternal  Grandmother,  who  passed 
away  that  week,  was  Elizabeth.  My  wife  had  never  met 
her,  but  that  is  no  reason  why  she  should  not  desire  to 
come  to  her. 

After  saying  this  Mrs.  Nanning  abruptly  asked: 
"What  happened  in  the  month  of  August?  Someone 
passed  out.  Joe  says  'It  was  me.'  Wait !  He  wants  to  do 
something.  I  can't  see  plainly  just  yet.  He  holds  some- 
thing up,  like  he  had  something  in  his  hand." 

Mrs.  N.  continued :  "He  takes  a  piece  of  paper — all 
white — a  piece  of  paper — no  letters  on  it — he  takes  it  in 
his  hand  like  this,  (Mrs.  Nanning  here  tore  off  a  little 
piece  of  newspaper,  and  held  it  in  her  fingers  as  one 
would  do  preparatory  to  making  a  cigarette)  He  rolls  it 
up  (Mrs.  N.  rolls  piece  of  paper,  turns  one  end  down,- 
wets  the  edges,  going  thru  all  the  motions  of  rolling  a 
cigarette)  like  this,  and  sticks  to  mouth,  (Mrs.  N.  puts 
rolled  paper  in  mouth).  Then  he  gets  shot!  Oh!"  Mrs. 
Nanning  shuddered  as  tho  cold  chills  were  passing  over 
her,  and  then  sat  back  limply  in  her  chair.) 


OUR   JOE  103 

Mrs.  N. :  "Ah,  I  see  what  it  is  now.  This  (holding 
up  rolled  paper)  was  cigarette.  What  fell  was  his  gun. 
And  then  he  got  shot.  (Here  it  seemed  that  Joe  took 
the  conversation)  "It  is  all  true — I  got  lost  for  awhile — I 
did  want  to  go  further  along  to  that  house.  I  wanted  to 
rest.  I  wasn't  permitted  to  reach  the  cabin.  I  had  to  sit 
there.  My  time  had  come.  I  don't  want  you  to  grieve. 
I  see,  hear,  and  know  all  things.  I  go  to  my  Father  that 
you  may  have  light.  We  do  live  beyond  the  grave.  Mother, 
I  know  what  it  cost  you.  A  mother's  love  grows  stronger 
day  by  day.  We  ought  to  be  very  grateful  for  the  way — 
that  way  is  God's  way." 

Mrs.  Nanning :     "I  see  many  sitting  around  table." 

Joe :  "You  keep  sitting  around  table,  and  all  raps 
will  be  recognized.  I  had  to  come." 

Mrs.  Nanning  said :  "I  have  brought  Spirits  back, 
when  no  one  else  could  bring  them  back." 

Question  by  Margaret  L.  Mundell:  "Ask  Joe  if  he 
remembers  Margie." 

Mrs.  N.  "Joe  says,  'Margie  wants  something,  but 
don't  give  it  to  her.'  Joe  says,  'Forget  and  Forgive.'  I 
see  a  photograph.  Don't  put  it  away.  (Evidently  refer- 
ring to  the  large  photograph  of  Joe  which  we  kept  on  the 
top  of  the  piano,  and  which  his  mother  took  down  and 
kissed  every  night.) 

"Joe  says,  'I  am  glad  they  found  me,  for  you  never 
would  have  been  satisfied  if  they  hadn't.' 

"A  man  comes  with  a  beard. 

"Who  is  George?" 

(Mrs.  Nanning  then  picked  up  the  rolled  paper,  repre- 
senting a  cigarette,  and  said,)  "  Joe  says,  'I  don't  want 
them  anymore — too  material.' ' 

Mrs.  Nanning  to  my  wife,  M.  L.  M. :  "You  can  do 
inspirational  writing.  Sit  down  anytime,  and  your  hand 
will  write  thru  you." 

After  saying  this  to  my  wife  Mrs.  Nanning  returned 
to  my  mother  with,  "Joe  is  telling  me  something  about  a 
letter — a  letter — a  brown  suit — "(Mrs.  Nanning:  "Has 
Joe  got  a  brown  suit — dark  brown  suit?") 


104-  OUR   JOE 

V.  M.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe  had  a  brown  suit,  but  he  didn't 
have  it  on  him  when  he  was  killed." 

Joe's  brown  suit  was  carefully  packed  away  in  his 
trunk  after  his  death,  and  the  mention  of  it  by  the  Medium 
constitutes,  to  my  mind,  a  remarkable  piece  of  evidence 
that  it  was  really  Joe  speaking  thru  her. 

Mrs.  Nanning  also  said:  "Joe  says  there  was  a 
sealed  letter,  ready  to  be  sent,  or  received  by  him."  Here 
she  became  confused  and  a  part  of  what  she  said  was  not 
correct. 

Mrs.  N. :  "Joe  says,  'I  must  have  help.  You  are  too 
over  anxious.'  There  is  such  an  over  anxious  atmosphere. 
It  makes  it  hard  to  communicate.  If  you  knew  how  satis- 
fied he  was  (meaning  Joe)  you  wouldn't  have  him  come 
back.  (Joe  speaking)  'Mama,  here's  your  chance  to 
elevate  me.  We  are  only  lent  to  one  another.  I  didn't 
always  do  right,  but  I  did  my  best.  I  feel  so  much  better 
when  you  don't  cry.' 

"Frank  comes  now.  (Evidently  my  mother's  Uncle 
Frank,  her  mother's  brother,  who  passed  into  Spirit-life 
thru  an  accident,  when  a  child) 

(Mrs.  Nanning  to  my  mother)  "A  wonderful  influ- 
ence comes  with  you,  but  you  are  so  over-anxious." 

Question  by  V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  weren't  you  sorry  to 
leave  this  life  so  young?" 

Joe :  "No,  I'm  not  disappointed.  I  would  have  gone 
when  sixteen.  (We  do  not  know  exactly  what  Joe  meant 
by  this  statement)  You  will  find  everything  so  different, 
better  and  beautiful  here.  Don't  sigh  for  me." 

Mrs.  Nanning :  "I  see  someone  who  is  Eddie  or  Ed- 
ward. Do  you  know  who  it  is?" 

V.  M.  M. :  "I  do  not.  That  is,  I  know  of  no  one  in 
the  family  by  that  name ;  but  Joe  had  a  chum,  a  boy  friend 
by  name  of  Eddie." 

Mrs.  Nanning:  "No,  there  is  no  family  connection. 
That's  right.  Joe  says,  it  is  no  family  relative,  but  we 
don't  forget  our  friends  over  here,  either.  Joe  wants  to 
touch  his  mother's  cheeks.  I  will  see  if  it  can  be  done, 
but  it  will  take  all  my  strength." 


OUR   JOE  105 

After  trying,  and  apparently  failing  in  this,  Joe  said, 
"When  you  are  of  more  faith,  I  will  come  to  you  in  my 
own  strength." 

Mrs.  N. :  "I  see  something  in  a  box.  Keep  it.  It's 
a  little  brown  box.  (To  mother :  Has  he  shaving  material 
in  it?") 

V.  M.  M. :    "No,  I  do  not  recognize  it." 

Question  by  V.  M.  M. :  "Ask  Joe  what  I  have  in  my 
purse  of  his,  that  he  would  recognize." 

Joe:  (thru  Mrs.  N.)  "Mama  you  expect  too  much  for 
the  first  time." 

Mrs.  Nanning :  "Joe  says,  he  felt  himself  getting  cold ; 
he  said  in  his  thoughts,  'God  bless  you,  my  dear  ones. 
Thanks  that  I  am  permitted  to  come  to  you.  Promise  me 
you  won't  grieve.  It  is  best  for  all  concerned.  You  be- 
lieve in  the  Gospel,  Christ  and  the  Bible.' ' 

Mrs.  N.  "Uncle  passed  out  with  beard;  Uncle  in  an 
indirect  way.  Seems  more  like  your  uncle  than  his 
(nodding  to  my  mother)  he  says,  'We're  over-stepping  our 
time.  Brace  up.  Your  love  is  unlike  all  others.  God 
bless  you  and  keep  you  I  pray." 

It  may  be  well  to  add  to  the  above  that  the  remark- 
able feature  of  it  all  was  that  the  medium  was  able  to  give 
anything  at  all.  The  sitting  was  frequently  interrupted 
by  the  ringing  of  the  door  bell — others  coming  for  sittings. 
But  withal  and  with  a  very  few  incorrect  details,  it  was 
a  reading  remarkable  for  its  wealth  of  accurate  detail. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  information  given  to  my 
mother  and  my  wife  corresponds  in  all  essentials  to  that 
given  to  me. 

CHAPTER  IX 

Report  of  messages  received  in  public  service,  Odd 
Fellows'  Hall,  Oakland,  California,  Sunday  Evening, 
September  25,  1921. 

Following  up  the  most  satisfactory  private  sittings 
with  Rev.  Mrs.  Emma  Nanning,  my  father,  my  wife  and  I 
decided  to  attend  one  of  the  public  services  under  the 
auspices  of  Mrs.  Nanning's  Church,  the  Spiritual  Church 


106 


OUR   JOE 


of  Truth  and  Light,  which  held  forth  in  the  Odd  Fellows 
Temple  every  Sunday  Evening. 

On  the  Sunday  evening  of  Sept.  25,  we  made  our  way 
thither.  My  mother  did  not  accompany  us  for  fear  she 
might  suffer  a  disappointment  similar  to  that  of  the  Sun- 
day night  previous. 

After  the  preliminary  service  of  song  and  prayer, 
the  congregation  was  divided  into  three  circles,  and  in- 
formed that  the  meeting  would  be  an  "old-fashioned 
circle." 

There  were  three  mediums  present,  and  each  of  them 
was  given  a  circle  for  a  half  hour ;  then  the  mediums  were 
changed  about,  until  each  circle  had  the  advantage  of 
witnessing  the  work  of  each  of  the  mediums. 

The  mediums  present  were:  Mrs.  Emma  Nanning, 
Mrs.  Zimmerman,  and  Mrs.  Salmon.  Mrs.  Zimmerman 
was  the  first  medium  to  take  charge  of  the  circle  to  which 
we  were  attached. 

The  Medium  first  came  to  my  wife,  but  altho  she  gave 
her  a  "message,"  there  was  nothing  in  it  which  she  could 
recognize. 

To  me  she  said:  "There  comes  someone  who  passed 
out  quickly — like  a  flash!  That's  all  I  can  get!  Per- 
haps you  can  sense  who  it  is?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  I  think  I  know  who  it  is." 

I  did  not  give  her  any  information  whatever,  and  the 
very  fact  that  she  did  not  say  anything  further  concerning 
the  manner  in  which  that  one  passed  out  quickly,  like  a 
flash,  nor  did  she  seem  to  know  anything  more,  seems  to 
me  to  preclude  the  supposition  that  Mrs.  Nanning  may 
have  communicated  the  facts  to  Mrs.  Z.,  concerning  our 
sittings  with  Mrs.  N. 

She  continued :  "I  feel  like  I  want  to  have  you  alone 
—private — feel  could  get  much  more  about  something  than 
I  can  get  now.  You  ought  to  sit  alone  in  dark  with  tablet 
— get  writing — from — from — brother — yes,  from  your 
brother.  You'll  be  surprised.  Would  you  also  recognize 
spirit  which  passed  out  in  infancy?" 


OUR   JOE  107 

C.  S.  M. :  "I  know  so  many  who  have  passed  out  in 
infancy.  I  do  not  know  which  one  comes  to  me  now." 

Mrs.  Z. :     "I  can't  seem  to  get  who  it  is." 

To  my  father  she  said: 

"Would  you  recognize  two  men  who  worked  on 
engine?  Hands  dirty — worked  on  train — killed  in  wreck 
— young  man  and  man  with  whiskers  ?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "No,  I  can't  say  that  I  do,  just  now.  You 
say  they  were  killed  on  an  engine  ?" 

Mrs.  Z. :     "Yes." 

At  the  moment  neither  my  father  or  I  could  recall 
any  one  we  had  ever  known  who  had  been  killed  in  such  a 
wreck,  but  a  few  minutes  later  I  said  to  my  father  (in  a 
whisper)  "Didn't  you  ever  know  anyone  at  Dalhart  who 
got  killed  in  a  train  wreck?  Two  men?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  do  now !  I'll  bet  she  meant  Rex  Matthews 
and  Bob  Ford." 

The  two  men  in  question  were  killed  in  a  train  wreck. 
The  former  was  a  young  man,  and  the  latter  wore  a 
mustache.  The  Medium's  description  turned  out  to  fit  the 
particular  situation  with  remarkable  accuracy.  My  father 
and  I  cannot  help  but  feel  that  this  particular  message  has 
real  evidential  value. 

At  9:15  the  mediums  exchanged  circles,  and  after 
giving  a  few  messages  to  others,  Mrs.  Nanning  came  over 
to  us. 

Mrs.  Nanning :  (to  me)  "I  get  the  name  of  Harry — 
Harry? — Harr-i-e-t — yes,  that's  it — Harriet!  Do  you 
know  Harriet  ?  She  comes  to  you  ?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  I  recognize  Harriet.  I  think  it  must 
be  my  Grandmother." 

Mrs.  N. :  "Y-es!  Well,  Harriet  says,  'Go  in  room 
and  relax.  I  will  write  thru  you !" 

Then  to  my  father : 

Mrs.  N. :  "Old  man  comes  to  you.  Has  beard.  Must 
be  your  father." 

S.  A.  M. :  "Yes,  I  guess  it  is  father.  What  does  he 
say?" 


108  OUR   JOE 

Mrs.  Nanning:  "He  wants  to  tell  you  something 
that  will  make  you  know  it's  him.  He  does  this  way — this 
way — (sotto  voce)  why  does  he  do  this  way?" 

The  Medium  here  scraped  the  heel  of  her  shoe  on  the 
floor,  like  one  pulling  off  shoe. 

Mrs.  N. :  "He  is  showing  me  how  he  used  to  pull 
off  his  shoes !  He  shows  me  a  piece  of  wood.  It  is  forked 
at  one  end.  He  says  he  used  it  to  pull  off  his  boots.  A-a- 
a-a— a  what?" 

S.A.  M.:     "A  bootjack?" 

Mrs.  N.  (laughing,  and  laughing  in  a  way  similar  to 
the  way  my  Grandfather  used  to  laugh)  "Yes,  yes!  He 
says  that's  right !  Tell  him  that.  He  will  remember  that, 
and  know  it's  me !" 

It  seems  to  me  that  *  the  above  should  be  considered 
very  evidential.  My  father  says  he  had  not  thought  of 
that  bootjack  for  thirty  years,  but  that  he  well  remembers 
how  his  father  used  to  pull  off  his  boots  that  way,  and 
sometime,  when  the  bootjack  could  not  be  found  my  father 
had  to  get  hold  of  the  boots  and  pull  them  off. 

Mrs.  Nanning:  "Elizabeth  come  to  you.  (to  my 
father)  She  says,  Tm  your  mother,  not  her  mother  (evi- 
dently meaning  she  was  my  father's  mother,  and  not  his 
mother-inlaw.  My  Grandmother  probably  said  this  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  Grandma  Painter  had  already  come 
thru  the  table,  and  thru  Mrs.  Nanning,  and  she  was 
anxious  that  we  know  which  'Mother'  was  meant" 


OUR   JOE 


109 


Joe  with  his  mother  and  "Grandma  Mundell" 
at  9O4  Brush  Street. 

Mrs.  N. :  "Elizabeth  says,  everything  here  is  so 
much  different  than  I  expected.  I  wasn't  looking  for  this. 
It  is  all  so  strange.  You  must  help  me,  my  son.  I  can't 
understand  it  all — yet !  I  am  groping  for  light.  I  am  glad 
I  am  permitted  to  come  to  you.  I  will  come  again/ ' 

This  does  not  seem  at  all  strange,  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  my  paternal  Grandmother  was  a  faithful  member 
of  an  orthodox  church,  and  had  lived  all  her  life  in  the  be- 
lief that,  when  death  came  to  the  Christian,  the  soul  would 
be  ushered  immediately  into  a  heaven  of  "Golden  Streets 
and  Pearly  Gates,  and  Jasper  Walls."  To  find  the  Spirit- 
world  no  more  than  a  continuation  of  this,  except  that  it 
is  pitched  on  a  higher  plane,  and  is  of  a  more  etherial 
nature,  must  indeed  have  seemed  strange  to  her,  and  it 
must  have  taken  her  some  time  to  get  her  bearings. 


no 


OUR   JOE 


S.  A.  M.:     "Ask  mother  if  George  is  with  her?" 
Mrs.  Nanning  (speaking  as  tho  it  were  Grandmother 

Mundell  talking)  :    "Yes,  we  are  all  together."     (Mrs.  N. 

slowly :  "I  hear  so  many  names ;  Elizabeth,  Harriet,  Joe, 

George  and  Edward.") 

Mrs.  N. :     "Joe  comes  to  'papa !'   Joe  says,  'Where  is 

mama  ?    Why  isn't  mama  here  ?  I-I — want  to  get  to  mama. 

Tell  mama  I  want  her  to  investigate.    Why  didn't  mama 

come  ?" 

"Joe  comes  and  kneels  down  by  you  and  says,  'I  used 
to  do  things  sometimes  I  am  sorry  for — you'll  forgive?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "You  never  did  papa  any  wrong,  son.  I 
have  nothing  to  forgive." 

As  a  matter  of  absolute  frankness  and  fairness  to 
the  spirit  of  fair  investigation  I  want  to  say  here  that  none 
of  the  family  have  been  able  to  think  of  any  reason  why 
Joe  should  kneel  to  his  father  in  a  plea  for  forgiveness  for 
anything. 

Mrs.  Nanning :  "Joe  thinks  someone  is  going  on  trip, 
(to  C.  S.  M.)  Must  be  you.  He  stands  by  you.  He  says, 
*Be  careful.'  He  seems  afraid." 

Joe  must  have  meant  this  message  for  his  father  in- 
stead of  for  me.  I  did  not  have  in  mind  any  trip  then,  nor 
have  I  had  at  this  writing.  On  the  other  hand,  his  father, 
being  an  official  of  the  Carmen's  Union,  travels  almost 
constantly. 

C.  S.  M. :     "Ask  Joe  if  he  knows  Margie's  father?" 

Mrs.  N. :     "Over  anxious.    Wait  a  minute." 

The  medium  then  staggered  as  tho  drunk.  The  ques- 
tion was  never  finished. 

This  ended  the  message  of  the  first  public  service.   . 

It  may  be  remarked  that  Mrs.  Nanning  did  not  add 
very  much  to  what  she  had  told  us  of  Joe  in  private  sit- 
tings. Her  message  from  my  Grandmother  would  seem 
important  as  evidential  matter. 

My  father's  mother  had  passed  away  in  Los  Angeles, 
the  Monday  night  previous,  and  had  been  laid  to  rest  be- 
side her  husband,  Harvey  Mundell,  on  Thursday.  How 
could  Mrs.  Nanning  have  learned  of  my  Grandmother's 


OUR   JOE  111 

death,  except  thru  the  spirit  of  the  deceased? 

And  how  could  she  know  that  her  name  was  Eliza- 
beth? 

And  why  should  she  describe  my  grandmother's  re- 
action to  her  spiritual  environment  in  the  way  she  did, 
knowing  nothing  about  her,  if  her  message  did  not,  in 
reality,  proceed  from  the  other  side  of  death?  All  that 
she  said  was  very  probable. 

CHAPTER  X 

Report  of  table  sitting  at  home,  September  26,  1921, 
Monday  evening. 

Those  present:  S.  A.  Mundell,  Verna  Mae  Mundell, 
Charles  S.  Mundell,  Margaret  L.  Mundell  and  J.  S. 
Painter. 

On  the  evening  following  the  good  messages  we  had 
received  at  the  Public  Meeting,  at  the  "Spiritual  Church 
of  Truth  and  Light"  we  had  our  second  table-sitting  at 
home.  My  father  was  present  at  this  sitting  for  his  first 
time. 

Four  of  us  were  sitting  at  the  table :  S.  A.  M.,  V.  M. 
M.,  C.  S.  M.  and  M.  L.  M. 

This  time  we  had  been  sitting  for  hardly  more  than 
ten  minutes  when  the  table  manifested  signs  of  being 
shaken  by  some  kind  of  power. 

C.  S.  M. :     "Are  there  any  spirits  present?" 

Silence. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Are  any  of  our  loved  ones  here  who  wish 
to  communicate  with  us  ?" 

Silence. 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  this  Mother  Mundell  ?" 

Table:     "No." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Call  over  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  and 
let  them  spell  out  who  it  is." 

C.  S.  M. :  (Alphabet  repeated)  "A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G, 
H,  I,  J,"— table  tilted  at  J. 

"A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  J,  K,  L,  M,  N,  0,"— table 
again  tilted  at  0. 

Feeling  sure  it  must  be  Joe  who  had  come  to  us  I 
called  out  the  letter  'E,'  and  the  table  tilted  in  assent. 


112  OUR   JOE 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  darling,  is  this  really  you,  and  have 
you  come  to  comfort  us?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Do  you  love  mama  tonight,  son?" 

Joe:  (emphatically  and  loud)  "yes!" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Do  you  love  papa,  too?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "And  do  you  love  Charlie  and  Margie?" 

Joe:     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  Uncle  George  with  you  tonight?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :  "And  is  Mother  Mundell  with  you  to- 
night?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Is  my  dear  mother,  Grandma  Painter, 
with  you,  dear?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :  "Son,  did  you  come  to  us  last  night  thru 
Mrs.  Nanning?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "And  did  you  say  you  missed  mama?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  dear,  would  you  like  for  us  to  call 
Grandpa  in  to  witness  this?" 

Joe:     "Yes." 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M.  My  Grandfather  Painter,  my 
mother's  father,  and  husband  of  Harriet  M.  Painter,  had, 
of  course  been  duly  informed  of  our  table  and  medium 
sittings.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  we  were  all  of  the  family 
and  that  he  could  not  conceive  that  any  of  us  would  de- 
liberately practice  fraud  upon  the  others,  he  was  ex- 
tremely skeptical.  In  fact,  he  hardly  knew  what  to  make 
of  it,  and  in  his  own  mind  probably  wondered  if  our  deep 
sorrow  had  not  affected  our  minds  a  little.  However,  he 
exDressed  his  wish  to  witness  the  phenomenon  of  table- 
tilting  for  himself.  Accordingly,  after  Joe  had  indicated 
his  desire  to  have  his  Grandfather  present  at  the  sitting 
my  father  went  upstairs  to  Grandpa's  room,  and  asked 
him  to  come  down  to  the  Seance.  Papa  gave  him  his  own 


OUR   JOE  113 

chair,  and  he  himself  stood  near  by  where  he  could  care- 
fully observe  the  actions  of  all  four  sitters. 

On  account  of  my  Grandfather's  obvious  skepticism 
and  suspicion,  my  father  kept  a  close  eye  on  us  to  see  that 
no  legs  were  touching  the  table;  that  our  feet  were  far 
back  from  the  table;  and  that  our  hands  were  kept  very 
lightly  upon  the  table. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  are  you  aware  that  Grandpa 
has  taken  Dad's  place  at  the  table?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  darling,  are  you  glad  to  see  Grand- 
pa?" 

Joe:     "Yes." 

J.  S.  P. :  "Joe,  is  my  little  boy  Charley  with  you 
now?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

J.  S.  P. :  "Is  your  mother's  little  sister,  Lily,  there 
too?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

J.  S.  P. :     "Joe,  is  Harriet  lame  now  ?" 

Joe :  "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Grandma  is  well  and  strong  now,  isn't 
she,  Joe?" 

Joe:  "yes!"  (Emphatically.) 

J.  S.  P. :  "Well,  this  is  enough  to  convince  me  that 
there  is  something  to  it."  With  which  remark  he  yielded 
the  place  to  my  father,  who  again  took  his  place  as  one 
of  the  sitters. 

S.  A.  M. :  "Joe,  can  Grandma  Mundell  come  to  us 
thru  this  table?" 

Joe :  "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "She  hasn't  been  over  long  enough,  and 
hasn't  sufficient  strength,  has  she,  Joe  ?" 

Joe :  "No." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Joe,  is  Grandpa  Mundell  there?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :  "Joe,  boy,  did  Grandpa  Mundell  come  to 
us  last  night  thru  Mrs.  Nanning,  and  did  he  refer  to  that 
'bootjack'  to  prove  it  was  really  him?" 


114  OUR   JOE 

Joe:  "Yes."  Here  the  table  behaved  as  tho  very- 
much  amused. 

Following  this  the  control  seemed  to  grow  weaker, 
and  when  we  asked  Joe  if  he  was  tired,  and  wished  to  go 
he  answered :  "Yes." 

After  Joe  had  relinquished  control  my  father  sug- 
gested that  we  wait  a  few  minutes,  and  possibly  some 
other  spirit  would  come. 

In  about  five  minutes  the  table  indicated  spirit  pres- 
ence. I  called  over  the  alphabet  and  table  spelled : 

"A-N-N-"  here  papa  interrupted  with,  "It  must  be 
Annie." 

Table :    "Yes,"  very  weakly. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Annie  darling,  we're  so  glad  to  have  you 
come." 

Annie :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Annie,  my  sweet  little  sister,  I  never  saw 
you,  for  you  left  this  life  before  I  was  born,  but  I  have 
always  cherished  the  thought  of  you,  and  have  wished 
you  might  have  lived  to  be  with  me  during  my  childhood 
days." 

Annie :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Don't  you  think  our  Joe  is  a  fine,  noble 
boy,  and  aren't  you  proud  of  him,  over  there?" 

Annie :  "Yes."  (Considerably  stronger,  and  more 
emphatic.  During  this  first  communication  with  Annie 
the  operations  were  never  very  strong) . 

V.  M.  M. :  "Annie  dear,  is  little  brother  Willie  with 
you  and  Joe,  now?" 

Annie :     "Yes." 

This  was  all  from  Annie. 

CHAPTER  XI 

Report  of  table  sitting  at  home,  Tuesday  evening, 
Sept.  27,  1921,  904  Brush  street,  Oakland,  California. 

Sitters:  S.  A.  Mundell,  Verna  Mae  Mundell,  Charles 
S.  Mundell  and  Margaret  L.  Mundell. 

On  the  Sunday  evening  previous  to  this  table-sitting, 
when  my  father,  my  wife  and  I  were  returning  from  the 


OUR   JOE  H5 

service  at  Odd  Fellows  Temple,  where  Mrs.  Zimmerman 
and  Mrs.  Nanning  had  given  us  such  excellent  messages, 
my  wife  was  complaining  because  her  father  never  came 
to  her.  She  couldn't  understand  why,  if  Spirit-return 
were  a  fact,  her  own  father  did  not  come  to  her  with  a 
message  of  love. 

"It  seems  funny  to  me,"  she  exclaimed,  "why  my 
father  never  comes  to  me.  I've  been  to  Spiritualist  meet- 
ings in  Oklahoma  City  and  here,  and  have  been  present  at 
table  seances,  but  my  father  has  never  come." 

It  is  true  that  while  we  were  living  in  Oklahoma  City 
a  medium  by  the  name  of  Mrs.  Mary  Mertz,  had  given 
me  a  message  purporting  to  come  from  Margaret's  father, 
but  my  wife  was  not  present  at  this  meeting.  The  message 
could  not  be  considered  very  evidential  because  of  the  fact 
that  I  had,  previous  to  the  calling  of  the  meeting  to 
order,  unfortunately  let  fall  a  remark  which  Mrs.  Mertz 
heard,  concerning  my  wife's  step-father.  However,  when 
I  asked  Mrs.  Mertz  to  ask  her  guide  the  question  if  he 
(the  guide)  could  tell  me  how  my  wife's  father  met  his 
death,  the  answer  was : 

"It  was  very  quick — he  was  killed — an  accident." 

I  thought  this  was  very  good,  and  told  my  wife.  But 
of  course,  she  very  naturally  could  not  be  satisfied  with  a 
message  coming  'second-hand,'  and  was  very  anxious  that 
her  father  might  come  to  her  directly. 

When  we  gathered  around  the  little  table  on  this 
Tuesday  evening,  hardly  five  minutes  had  passed  when  the 
table  indicated  Spirit  presence. 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  this  our  dear  boy,  Joe  ?" 

Silence. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  darling,  is  it  you  that  wants  to 
come?" 

No.  response. 

C.  S.  M. :     "Is  this  sister  Annie?" 

Silence. 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  it  our  little  boy,  Willie  ?" 

Silence. 

V.  M.  M. :     "Is  this  my  dear  mother?" 


116  OUR   JOE 

No  response. 

Several  other  names  were  called,  including  Grandpa 
Mundell,  Grandma  Mundell,  but  the  table  made  no  re- 
sponse. Then : 

M.  L.  M. :     "Is  this  my  father,  Herman  Brunke?" 

Table  slowly,  and  rather  jerkily  tilted  three  times ! 

C.  S.  M. :  "So  this  is  Margie's  father?  Well,  we  are 
glad  to  welcome  you.  Did  you  hear  Margaret  fussing  last 
night  because  you  never  came  to  her?" 

H.  B. :      (Herman  Brunke)  "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "You  didn't  blame  me,  did  you  papa,  for 
fussing?" 

H.B.:     "Yes/"    (Emphatic). 

We  all  laughed  and  indulged  in  some  "teasing"  at 
Margaret's  expense. 

S.  A.  M. :  "You  don't  think  people  should  ever  do 
such  things,  do  you  ?" 

H.  B. :     "No." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Papa,  do  you  know  where  my  mother 
is?" 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Is  she  in  the  Spirit-world?" 

H.  B. :     "No." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Is  she  all  right,  papa?" 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Vater,  ist  deine  mutter  dar?" 

Note  by  C.  S.  M.  My  wife's  father  was  of  German 
blood,  and  German  born.  To  the  best  of  her  remembrance, 
he  spoke  very  little  English.  The  mother  (Margaret's 
mother)  was  also  German ;  hence,  in  the  home  the  father 
and  mother  conversed  in  the  German  language.) 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

Several  other  questions  were  asked  in  German,  and 
answers  received  accordingly. 

M.  L.  M. :  "Papa,  do  you  know  Charles?  (Mean- 
ing me.) 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Do  you  think  he  is  a  good  husband  for 
me?" 


OUR   JOE  117 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Papa,  you  know  I  was  only  about  three 
years  old  when  you  left  us.  I  remember  very  little  about 
you,  but  I  do  remember  one  thing  very  distinctly.  Do  you 
remember  the  evening  you  were  reading  your  German 
newspaper  and  you  asked  me  to  get  your  house-slippers 
for  you?  I  was  busy  playing  with  my  dolls  and  didn't 
want  to  be  disturbed,  so  I  merely  looked  around  a  little 
and  returned  to  my  dolls,  saying  I  couldn't  find  them.  You 
hit  me  on  the  head  with  the  folded  newspaper,  not  to  hurt, 
but  lightly,  to  scare  me  a  little.  Do  you  remember  that?" 

H.  B. :      (As  tho  amused)     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "You  didn't  hurt  me  any,  tho,  did  you, 
papa?  You  were  only  playing?" 

H.  B.:     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Papa,  have  you  met  Joe?" 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "And  have  you  met  Charlie's  Grand- 
mother, Harriet,  and  Grandmother  Mundell,  and  Grandpa 
Mundell,  and  Willie,  and  Annie,  and  the  others?" 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "And  have  you  seen  your  own  son,  my 
brother,  Ollie,  was  drowned  when  he  was  about  17  or  18?" 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Are  you  getting  tired,  vater?" 

H.  B. :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Guten  nacht,  vater !" 

Table  responded  twice. 

We  all  considered  this  sitting  particularly  good. 
Needless,  to  say  my  wife  was  elated,  and  somewhat  asham- 
ed of  her  impatience  of  the  Sunday  evening  before. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Report  of  messages  received  in  public  meeting,  at  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Marie  F.  S.  Wallace,  San  Francisco  Medium, 
1219  Fillmore  St.,  September  28,  1921. 

Of  all  the  public  meetings  I  have  ever  attended  under 
Spiritualist  auspices,  the  messages  given  by  Mrs.  Marie 


118  OUR   JOE 

F.  S.  Wallace,  at  her  home  in  San  Francisco,  on  Monday 
evening,  Sept.  28,  1921,  were  the  most  generally  accurate 
and  satisfactory. 

Besides  my  mother,  my  wife,  and  myself,  there  were 
perhaps  twenty  others  present,  and  practically  every  mes- 
sage given  proved  to  be  the  exact  truth.  Practically  every 
one,  with  three  or  four  exceptions,  were  there  for  the  first 
time.  We  talked  to  several  persons  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting,  and  verified  the  startlingly  true  messages  they 
had  received. 

For  instance,  she  came  to  one  man,  unknown  to  us 
(who  afterwards  informed  us  he  had  never  seen  Mrs. 
Wallace  before,  nor  had  he  ever  attended  any  of  her 
seances),  and  said: 

Mrs.  W. :  "The  Spirit  of  an  elderly  gentleman  comes 
to  you.  He  is  so  tall  (indicating  by  gesture),  has  white 
hair,  and  a  long  white  beard."  (She  went  on  to  describe 
the  features,  complexion,  shape  of  nose  and  mouth,  hands, 
etc.) 

The  stranger  (in  manifest  surprise)  :  "Yes,  there  is 
no  doubt  in  my  mind  who  that  is !  Does  he  tell  you  who 
heisT 

Mrs.  W. :     "He  shows  me  that  he  is  your  father!" 

Stranger  (with  obvious  emotion,  too  strong  to  con- 
ceal) :  "Yes,  that's  right." 

Mrs.  W. :  "He  says  he  used  to  have  a  gold-headed 
cane,  so-so"  (Mrs.  Wallace  described  a  cane). 

S. :     "Yes,  I  remember." 

Mrs.  W. :  "He  is  laughing !  He  says  he  used  to  get 
angry  at  you  sometimes,  and  that  he  would  shake  the 
cane  at  you !" 

S.  (laughing)  :     "By  George,  that's  right!    He  did!" 

Mrs.  W. :  "He  says  he  also  used  to  chase  you  with 
that  cane  sometimes,  but  never  could  catch  you !" 

S.  (laughing  heartily  now)  :  "I'll  say  he  did!  No,  I 
could  run  faster  than  he  could,  so  he  never  caught  me." 

The  medium  then  related  to  the  stranger  (who,  by  the 
way,  was  not  a  Spiritualist)  many  incidents  of  his  past 


OUR   JOE  119 

life  which  he  personally  assured  us  were  absolutely  true, 
and  that  no  one  present  knew  but  himself. 

After  giving  several  messages  around  (all  recognized 
by  those  to  whom  they  were  given) ,  she  came  to  my  wife. 

Mrs.  W. :  "I  want  to  come  to  you,  dear.  A  father 
comes  to  you.  You  have  a  father  in  Spirit-life?" 

M.  L.  M.:     "Yes." 

Mrs.  W. :  "Well,  dear,  your  father  comes  to  you 
with  a  message  of  love.  He  wants  you  to  be  sure  it  is 
your  father,  so  he  says,  'Do  you  remember  the  time  I 
slapped  you  over  the  head  with  a  newspaper?'  He  says 
that's  all  you  remember  about  him !" 

My  wife  was  really  so  surprised  she  seemed  unable 
to  reply.  To  our  positive  knowledge  Mrs.  Wallace  had 
never  seen  us  before.  Finally  my  wife  said:  "Yes,  I 
remember  that." 

Mrs.  W. :  "Your  father  shows  me  that  he  was  killed 
by  an  accident — shows  me  a  high  building.  'Fell  from 
that,'  he  says.  His  foot  struck  something  sham — seems 
like  spike  was  run  through  foot,  or  something  like  that. 
(Note:  Mv  wife  does  rot  krow  whether  this  detail  is  cor- 
rect or  not.  She  never  heard  of  any  injury  to  her  father's 
foot  when  he  fell  from  the  Chicago  skyscraper.  ) 

Mrs.  W. :  "Your  father  says  he  heard  you  complain- 
ing the  other  night,  that  you  never  could  .e-et  anything' 
through  from  him.  That's  why  he  came  tonight.  He 
says,  I  got  Charlie  for  you." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Ask  him  if  he  knows  where  mama  is?" 

Mrs.  W. :  "He  says  you  will  hear  from  your  mother 
some  day."  (Note  by  C.  S.  M. :  Considering  that  Mrs. 
Wallace  had  never  seen  my  wife  before,  the  above  was 
either  a  most  remarkable  instance  of  telepathy  or  "mind 
reading,"  or  it  was  what  it  purported  to  me :  i.  e.,  a  mes- 
sage from  the  Spirit  of  my  wife's  father !  We  believe  it 
was  the  latter.) 

Mrs.  Wallace  came  next  to  my  mother. 

Mrs.  W.  (picking  up  the  ring  my  mother  had  placed 
on  the  table,  and  without  opening  her  eyes)  :  "The  per- 
son who  owns  this  ring  is  very  anxious  for  spiritual  mani- 


120  OUR    JOE 

festations.    But  you  don't  want  to  be  deceived.    You  are 
an  honest  and  sincere  seeker  for  truth. 

"As  I  come  more  closely  into  your  vibration  I  hear 
a  spirit  calling,  'Mama.'  He  (notice  she  said  'he')  says, 
'Mama,  I  wasn't  hungry.'  (Evidently  referring  to  the 
Tribune  article,  which  advanced  the  idea  that  he  might 
have  been  starving,  and  that  he  ended  his  life.)  'I  wasn't 
lost — I  was  lost  for  a  little  while — I  was  trying  to  reach 
that  house  (evidently  the  little  cabin  mentioned  by  Mrs. 
Nanning.  An  excellent  example  of  cross-correspondence) . 

"  'I  just  sat  down  to  rest.  I  was  tired.  I  was  leaning 
on  gun.'  He  says  something  about  a  gun  leaning.  Joe 
says.  'It  all  happened  so  quickly — like  a  flash.'  Joe  says, 
'I  still  live.'  He  says  something  about  black,  'Don't  like 
for  mama  to  wear  black.'  'Please  don't  grieve  for  me.  I 
am  all  right !  When  you  grieve  it  makes  it  harder  for  me 
to  get  close  to  you — it  makes  aura  so  dense — (like  a 
cloud).  He  says,  'Willie  is  here,  too — and  Annie!'  Joe 
says,  'I  made  Charlie  come  home.'  (That  is,  Joe  must 
have  impressed  me  to  leave  Oklahoma  City  and  return 
to  my  parents'  home  in  Oakland.  I  only  know  that  the 
desire  to  return  home  was  irrestible.) 

'Joe  also  says,  'If  Charlie  hadn't  come  home,  mama 
would  have  been  here,  too,  by  this  time." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Ask  Joe  if  it  was  really  him  that  wrote 
his  name  through  my  hand  the  other  night?" 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M. :  A  night  or  two  before  this  I  had 
gone  into  the  parlor,  and  sitting  down  at  the  library  table, 
had  waited,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  get  automatic  writ- 
ing. Very  soon  I  became  sleepy,  and  as  I  felt  a  drowsi- 
ness creeping  over  me,  I  wrote,  "Is  there  any  spirit  who 
will  write  through  my  hand?"  A  few  minutes  later  my 
wife  came  in  to  call  me  to  suuper,  and  when  I  looked  at 
the  paper  the  word  'Joe'  had  been  spelled,  in  letters  very 
unlike  my  normal  handwriting.  I  was  evtremely  skepti- 
cal about  attributing  the  writing  to  anything  else  than  my 
own  sub-conscious  mind.  Hence  the  question.) 


OUR    JOE 

Mrs.  W. :  "Yes,  Joe  says  it  was  really  him  that 
signed  his  name  through  your  hand.  He  says,  'Keep  it 
up  and  you  will  receive  more/  ' 

Here  Mrs.  Wallace  paused  several  seconds,  as  though 
in  profound  thought,  and  added : 

"Your  brother  and  you  did  not  resemble  each  other 
very  much?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Not  a  great  deal.    Why?" 

Mrs.  W. :  "Because  I  can  see  that  he  is  taller,  and 
much  stronger,  than  yourself.  Also,  his  hair  and  eyes 
are  darker  than  yours." 

Correct.    We  thought  this  very  good. 

Mrs.  W. :  "Joe  says,  'Tell  mama  I  can  now  go  where 
I  please,  and  I  don't  have  to  pay  any  car-fare.'  I  don't 
know  what  he  means  by  that,  but  that's  what  he  says: 
Tell  mama  I  can  now  go  where  I  want  to,  and  I  don't  have 
to  pay  any  fare!' ' 

My  mother  felt  that  this  statement  was  particularly 
good,  for  the  reason  that,  shortly  before  Joe  went  on  his 
fatal  hunting  trip,  he  and  a  friend  of  his,  a  fellow-worker 
at  the  West  Oakland  passenger  yards,  had  both  put  in 
applications  for  transportation  passes  covering  a  pro- 
posed trip. 

Strangely  enough,  although  both  boys  had  made  ap- 
plication at  about  the  same  time,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  my  brother  had  been  working  for  the  company  longer 
than  his  friend,  the  friend  received  his  pass  for  all  the 
way,  while  my  brother  received  his  for  only  a  part  of  the 
way,  with  special  rates  covering  the  balance  of  the 
journey. 

My  mother  recalls  that  Joe  was  quite  hurt  at  the  time, 
at  what  he  felt  to  be  an  unjust  discrimination. 

He  said,  "I've  been  working  for  the  company  longer 
than  C —  has.  If  he  is  entitled  to  a  pass  all  the  way,  I 
don't  see  why  I  should  have  to  pay  fare  for  a  part  of 
the  way." 

The  matter  was  discussed  quite  thoroughly  at  the 
time,  making  a  deep  impression  upon  his  mother.  Nat- 


122  OUR   JOE 

urally,  she  also  felt  resentment  at  what  she  considered  an 
unjust  discrimination  against  her  son. 

Does  it  not  seem  reasonable  that  Joe  should  refer  to 
the  matter,  as  a  test,  in  order  that  it  might  convince  his 
mother  it  was  really  Joe  who  was  speaking? 

If  this  expression,  "I  can  go  where  I  please,  and  I 
don't  have  to  pay  any  car  fare,"  does  not  constitute  a  re- 
markable test,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  devise  any  statement  that  could  be  taken  as  a  test. 

How  could  he  have  made  the  reference  stronger,  if  he 
had  tried? 

Mrs.  Wallace  certainly  could  not  have  known  about 
this  little  matter  of  intimate  family  history.  She  did  not 
even  know  what  Joe  meant  by  the  expression ! 

Mrs.  Wallace:  "Elizabeth  also  comes  to  you  (To 
C.  S.  M.) .  She  says,  'I'm  Grandmother  M-M-a-u-n-d-a-1-l 
— no,  that  isn't  right — M-o-u-n-l-e-l-l — something  like  that 
— M-a-u-n-d-a-l-l — that's  what  is  sounds  like  to  me.  Do 
you  know  what  that  name  is?" 

The  giving  of  a  surname  is  not  a  very  common  thing 
in  such  meetings,  and  when  it  is  given,  to  strangers,  it 
seems  to  me  that  it  ought  to  carry  some  weight. 

Christian  names,  called  out  and  recognized,  cannot, 
of  course,  be  considered  as  important  as  the  giving  of  a 
surname — especially  when  that  surname  happens  to  be  a 
rather  unusual  and  uncommon  name! 

That  is  to  say,  there  are  many  Joes,  Charlies,  Johns, 
Williams,  Marys,  Marthas,  etc.,  and  sometimes  when  the 
medium  asks,  for  instance,  "Who  recognizes  the  name  of 
Helen?"  several  persons  may  claim  the  name  as  belong- 
ing to  some  one  of  their  loved  and  lost. 

But  the  name  Mundell  is  not  a  very  common  name. 
Neither  are  we  a  very  famous  family.  We  are  not  suffi- 
ciently well  known  in  Greater  San  Francisco  that  our 
name  can  be  spelled  out  by  every  medium  in  the  city. 

The  above  seems  especially  significant  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  all  of  Grandmother  Mundell's  grandchildren  and 
great-grandchildren  distinguished  her  from  other  grand- 
mothers by  calling  her  "Grandma  Mundell." 


OUR   JOE  123 

(Supplementary  note  by  C.  S.  M. :  The  reader  will 
•observe  that  Mrs.  Nanning  had  said  the  gun  "fell"  (see 
report  of  sitting  with  Mrs.  Nanning,  Sept.  24),  while 
Mrs.  Wallace  implied  that  Joe  was  "leaning"  on  the  gun 
when  he  was  shot.  This  apparent  discrepancy  was  cleared 
up  at  a  subsequent  table  sitting  in  our  home  (See  table 
sitting  of  Oct.  12). 

CHAPTER  XIII 

Report  of  messages  received  from  Mrs.  Emma  Nan- 
ning, public  meeting,  Church  of  Truth  and  Light,  Odd 
Fellows'  Temple,  Oakland,  California,  Oct.  2,  1921,  Sun- 
day evening. 

Those  of  us  who  attended:  V.  M.  M.,  S.  A.  M., 
C.  S.  M.,  and  M.  L.  M. 

On  Sunday  evening,  Oct.  2,  we  all  attended  the  open 
meeting  at  Odd  Fellows'  Temple,  under  the  auspices  of 
"The  Spiritual  Church  of  Truth  and  Light,"  Mrs.  Emma 
Nanning,  pastor. 

As  a  rule,  there  are  two  or  more  mediums  who  work 
in  every  Spiritualist  meeting,  but  on  this  occasion  Mrs. 
Nanning  happened  to  be  the  only  psychic  present ;  hence, 
she  gave  all  the  messages. 

To  my  father,  and  mother,  and  myself  she  gave  mes- 
sages of  love  and  comfort  from  Joe,  from  "Harriet,"  from 
George  (Father's  brother),  and  from  Grandma  and 
Grandma  Mundell.  They  were  characteristic  and  helpful, 
but  in  as  much  as  they  contained  no  new  material,  or  any- 
thing of  what  we  call  "evidential  value,"  I  omit  them, 
recording  here  the  message  given  to  my  wife,  M.  L.  M., 
because  it  should  be  considered  of  exceptional  importance. 

A  few  nights  previous,  when  we  were  returning  home 
on  the  Ferry  from  Mrs.  Wallace's  meeting,  my  wife  had 
remarked :  "Mrs.  Wallace's  message  to  me  was  wonder- 
ful, and  her  description  of  the  accidental  death  of  my 
father  very  accurate,  but  I  wish  my  father  would  come 
to  me  and  give  me  his  name,  and  perhaps  also  a  message 
in  German.  That  would  sound  more  natural  than  a  mes- 


124  OUR    JOE 

sage  in  English,  for  the  reason  that  he  spoke  German  at 
home." 

After  giving  messages  to  mother,  father,  and  me, 
the  medium  turned  to  M.  L.  M. 

Mrs.  N. :  "A  spirit  comes  to  you  from  the  other  side 
of  life.  He  says  it  is — (Mrs.  N.  sotto  voice:  He  says  he 
wants  to  spell  it)  He  says  it  is  'V-a-t-e-r'  (German  word 
for  'Father').  He  wants  to  spell  his  name  in  German: 
(Here  he  spelled  Herman) .  Herman — my  wife's  father's 
first  name  indeed ! 

Following  the  spelling  of  the  name  the  medium  gave 
my  wife  a  message  in  German.  Since  I  do  not  understand 
or  speak  German  (except  a  precious  little),  I  was  not  able 
to  take  down  the  message.  My  wife  assures  me  it  was 
exceptionally  good. 

Now  the  question  is :  How  did  Mrs.  Nanning  learn 
that  my  wife  was  of  German  blood?  She  certainly  does 
not  look  to  be!  Almost  everyone  who  ventures  a  guess 
thinks  she  is  either  French  or  Spanish.  She  simply  does 
not  look  Teutonic !  But  of  much  greater  importance  is  the 
question :  How  did  she  hit  upon  "Herman"  as  her  father's 
name  ?  Was  it  merely  a  fortunate  guess  ?  True,  Herman 
is  not  an  uncommon  name  for  a  German,  but  neither  is 
Fritz,  or  Frederick,  or  Rudolph,  or  a  great  many  other 
names ! 

The  reader  may  account  for  the  fact  by  the  hypothesis 
of  "guessing,"  but  when  I  consider  it  in  the  light  of  her 
past  messages  to  us,  both  in  private  and  from  the  plat- 
form, I  cannot  help  but  seriously  doubt  the  truth  of  the 
suggestion  that  she  merely  made  a  fortunate  "guess." 

CHAPTER  XIV 

Report  cf  a  private  sitting  of  S.  A.  Mundell  with  Mrs. 
Marie  F.  S.  Wallace,  of  San  Francisco,  1219  Fillmore, 
Tuesday  afternoon,  Oct.  4, 1921. 

My  father  was  very  much  impressed  with  our  report 
of  the  messages  given  us  in  open  meeting  by  Mrs.  Wal- 
lace, in  San  Francisco.  It  was  decided  that  he  would  go 
to  Mrs.  Wallace  quite  anonymously  for  a  private  sitting.. 


OUR   JOE  125 

Mother  was  particularly  anxious  that  every  pre- 
caution sh  uld  be  taken  to  keep  my  father's  identity  a 
secret  from  Mrs.  Wallace.  So  when  he  entered  Mrs.  W.'s 
parlor  he  was  careful  not  to  betray  his  identity.  He  did 
not  give  his  name,  nor  did  the  medium  ask  for  it.  Neither 
did  he  telephone  for  an  appointment,  preferring  to  "take 
a  chance"  on  finding  the  medium  at  liberty. 

At  about  a  quarter  to  three  the  reading  began.  I,  of 
course,  was  not  present,  so  I  am  merely  reporting  what 
my  father  related  to  me. 

She  gave  him  first  what  she  called  a  "material"  read- 
ing, or  a  sketch  of  his  life.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 
minor  mistakes,  my  father  described  the  sketch  as  quite 
accurate,  and  in  many  respects  surprising. 

She  gave  him  a  rather  detailed  account  of  his  past 
life,  adventures,  experiences,  etc.  Then  coming  to  the 
present  she  said : 

Mrs.  W. :  "You  are  the  leader  of  some  organization 
— an  official,  of  some  sort."  (True,  my  father's  official 
position  was  that  of  General  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Pro- 
tective Board,  Brotherhood  Railway  Carmen  of  America.) 

Mrs.  W.  continued :  "You  seem  to  have  something  to 
do  with  railroads.  The  membership  of  your  organization 
have  great  faith  in  you.  This  has  not  always  been  true. 
You  have  had  a  struggle,  but  you  have  triumphed."  (All 
this,  of  course,  was  quite  true.  However,  all  the  time 
she  was  giving  this  my  father  was  impatient  for  her  to 
come  to  the  "Spiritual."  He  (as  was  true  of  all  of  us) 
was  very  little  interested  in  the  material  question  at  all. 
What  we  desired  was  communication  from  beyond.) 

After  a  time  she  informed  my  father  that  there  were 
five  children  in  the  family. 

S.  A.  M. :     "No,  only  four." 

Mrs.  W. :  "But  I  see  five.  Four  are  in  the  spirit- 
world;  one  is  at  home." 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  I  don't  know  how  there  could  be 
five  when  only  four  children  were  born  to  us !" 

Mrs.  W. :     "Well,  there  was  a  little  girl  ?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes." 


126  OUR   JOE 

Mrs.  W. :  "Wasn't  there  a  little  boy  prematurely 
born?  Only  a  few  months  in  pre-natal  development,  but 
still  sufficiently  developed  to  show  life?" 

S.  A.  M.  (in  considerable  surprise)  :  "Why,  yes,  that 
is  true !  We  never  thought  of  that  little  one  as  being  a 
spirit  in  the  spirit-world !" 

(Not-  by  C.  S.  M.:  See  Table  Sitting  of  Oct.  20. 
Also  page  150.) 

Between  my  sister  Annie  and  myself  there  was  a  mis- 
carriage— a  little  boy  some  five  months  in  development. 
Following  this  experience  my  mother  was  ill  for  a  long- 
time ;  in  fact,  she  came  very  near  dying!  More  than  once 
her  passing  was  considered  only  a  matter  of  hours. 

It  seems  to  me  that  this  insistance  by  the  medium 
upon  the  number  five,  over  the  objections  of  my  father 
that  there  were  positively  only  four,  constitutes  a  matter 
of  some  evidential  value.  Certainly  she  did  not  read  it 
from  my  father's  mind,  for  he  was  thinking  of  no  such 
thing,  and  was  very  much  taken  back  when  the  medium 
mentioned  it. 

Mrs.  W. :  "Then  there  was  a  little  boy — Willie — who 
passed  out  when  he  was  about — well,  between  a  year  and 
a  half  and  two  years  old." 

S.  A.  M. :     "That  is  true." 

Mrs.  Wallace:  "And  then  Joe  came.  Is  that  not 
true?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  that  is  true !" 

Then  Mrs.  Wallace  went  on  to  describe  how  my  dear 
brother  came  to  his  untimely  death,  saying  that  although 
his  earthly  life  was  cut  short,  he  had  a  great  work  to  do 
in  the  Spirit-world. 

Mrs.  V7  :  "Joe  has  brought  all  this  about  (meaning* 
our  investigation  of  Spiritualism  and  psychic  phe- 
nomena) .  It  has  been  Joe  who  has  made  it  possible  for 
other  of  your  loved  ones  to  come  through  to  you,  from  the 
other  side  of  life.  Joe  was  a  good  boy — a  noble,  manly, 
affectionate  boy.  You  were  very  proud  of  him." 

S.  A.  M.:     "Yes,  we  were!" 


OUR   JOE  127 

Mrs.  W. :  "Joe  keeps  saying  something  about 
'Charlie,  Charlie.'  Do  you  know  who  'Charlie'  is?  He 
isn't  in  the  Spirit-world." 


S.  A.  M. 
Mrs.  W. 


preacher!'    Is  Charlie  a  preacher?" 


S.  A.  M. 
Mrs.  W. 


know  who  'E  izabeth'  is?" 


S.  A.  M. 
Mrs.  W. 


"Charlie  is  our  other  son,  Joe's  brother." 
"Yes,  Joe  says  something  about  Preacher ! 


"Yes,  that  is  what  he  means !" 
"Elizabeth  also  comes  to  you.     Do  you 


"It  must  be  my  mother !" 

"Well,  she  says,  'Tell  Sam  Father  is  with 


me !'  Who  is  Sam?  She  shows  me  you  are  Sam !  Is  your 
name  Sam?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  that's  my  name !" 

(Note :  How  did  Mrs.  Wallace  know,  never  having 
,seen  my  father,  that  his  name  was  Sam?) 

Mrs.  W. :  "I  don't  know  whether  she  means  her 
father,  or  your  father.  (Sotto  voice:  I  think  she  means 
your  father.)  Yes,  that  is  what  she  means." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Can  you  get  my  father's  first  name?" 

Mrs.  W. :  "I  will  try.  I  never  like  to  ask  the  names, 
for  I'm  afraid  my  own  mind  will  steD  in  and  I'll  do  a  lot 
of  guessing.  The  spirits  usually  volunteer  their  names 
whenever  they  want  to  give  them." 

(She  did  not  succeed  in  getting  the  name  of  Grandpa 
Mundell.  After  a  moment  of  concentration,  she  gave  it 
up,  saying,  "I  can't  seem  to  get  it." 

Mrs.  Wallace  continued :  "Joe  says,  'Paua,  I  can  go 
where  I  please,  and  I  don't  have  to  wait  for  trains  like 
you  do." 


CHAPTER  XV 

Notes  of  Table  Sitting  in  our  home,  October  10.  1921 
(Evening).  Four  persons  in  circle:  S.  A.  Mundell,  Mrs. 
V.  M.  Mundell,  Charles  S.  Mundell,  Margaret  L.  Mundell. 

After  sitting  quietly,  with  hands  lightly  on  table  for 
15  or  20  minutes,  vibrations  and  quivering  could  be  felt 
by  all  the  sitters. 


128  OUR   JOE 

Question  by  C.  S.  M. :  "Are  there  any  spirits  pres- 
ent? Are  any  of  our  friends  or  loved  ones  here  who  wish 
to  communicate  with  us?"  Table  tilted  three  times, 
toward  V.  M.  M. 

Question  by  C.  S.  M. :  "Is  this  Joe?"  Answer:  three 
tilts  for  yes! 

Question  by  S.  A.  M. :  "Is  George  with  you  now, 
Joe?"  A.:  Yes. 

Q.  S.  A.  M.:  "Joe,  does  George  live  on  a  higher 
plane  than  you  do?  And  does  he  just  come  down  to  the 
first  plane  to  help  you?" 

Table  commenced  tilting  backwards  and  forwards 
most  peculiarly,  tilting  six  or  eight  times  from  V.  M.  M. 
to  M.  L.  M. 

Sitters  were  puzzled  to  know  what  communicator 
wanted. 

Q.  by  V.  M.  M. :  "Joe  dear,  do  you  want  us  to  call 
over  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  so  you  can  spell  some- 
thing?" 

A.  Joe:  "Yes"  (emphatically).  Alphabet  was  re- 
peated. Joe  tilted  at  each  letter  forming  the  words  of 
the  following :  "Not  exactly ;  George  lives  in  same  plane 
I  do." 

Q.  S.  A.  M. :  "George  lives  on  same  plane  you  do, 
but  he  has  progressed  further,  and  understands  more 
about  the  spirit-life?" 

A.  Joe :  "Yes."  Table  again  tilted  backwards  and 
forwards  several  times,  indicating  desire  to  spell  out  mes- 
sage. Alphabet  was  repeated. 

Joe:  "I  s-a-w  M-a  c-r-y-i-n-g  f-o-r  m-e  t-o-d-a-y. 
I-t  h-u-r-t-s  m-e  a-n-d  G-r-a-n-d-m-a  t-o  s-e-e  m-a-m-a 
g-r-i-e-v-e. 

(Spelling  continued)  :     Conditions  are  good  here. 

Joe:  "Ask  dad  if  he  remembers  banana-st  (stick? 
supplied  by  M.  L.  M.)  ?"  Answer:  "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Well,  bless  his  he^rt.     He  means  the  time 
I  whipped  him  with  banana-stock." 

Q.  S.  A.  M. :  "You'll  forgive  papa  for  that,  won't 
yoir  son  ?" 


OUR   JOE  129 

A.  Joe:  "Yes."  (Again  rocked  table,  indicating 
desire  to  spell.) 

Joe :     "I  needed  it." 

Q.  V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  darling,  we're  so  sorry  we  ever 
whipped  you.  You  forgive  us,  don't  you?" 

Joe:  "I  don't  hold  anything  against  any —  (one? 
.supplied  by  M.  L.  M.)  (A.  Yes) . 

Joe :  "Does  mama  recall  how  I  was  big  baby.  I  am 
still  mama's  boy." 

Q.    S.  A.  M.:     "Joe  loves  mama?" 

A.  (emphatically)  "Yes!"  Table  tilted  over  into 
V.  M.  M.'s  lap  and  remained  until  we  pulled  it  away. 

Q.  S.  A.  M. :  "Joe,  do  you  remember  when  you 
farmed  with  Tony  Snyder?" 

A.    Joe:     "Yes." 

Q.  C.  S.  M. :    "You  didn't  like  it  much,  did  you  Joe?" 

A.  (emphatically)  :  "No."  Again  indicated  desire 
to  spell. 

Joe  (referring  to  time  farmed  with  T.  S.)  :  "I  ate 
hot  cakes  every  day." 

Q.  M.  L.  M. :  "Joe,  do  you  remember  what  you  sent 
your  sister  Margie  for  a  present  last  Christmas  ?" 

A.    Joe :     "Dancing  pumps." 

(Following  this,  Joe  tilted  twice  for  "Goodnight.") 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Table  Sitting  in  our  home,  904  Brush  Street,  Oakland, 
CaL,  Wednesday  evening,  Oct.  12,  1921.  Three  sitters 
present:  Mrs.  V.  M.  Mundell  (Mother),  Charles  S.  Mun- 
dell  (Brother) ,  and  Margaret  L.  Mundell  (Sister-in-Law) . 

After  sitting  quietly  for  20  or  25  minutes,  table  tilted 
twice,  indicating  spirit-presence.  Alphabet  repeated. 
Name  spelled:  H-a-r-r-i-e-t. 

Q.     C.  S.  M. :     "Is  this  Grandma?" 

A.     H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

Q.  V.  M.  M.  "We're  so  glad  to  have  you  come 
again  dear  Mother.  We  can't  wait  to  ask  later,  Did  you 
bring  Joe  with  you,  and  is  he  with  you  now?" 


OUR    JOE 


A.     H.  M.  P.:     "Yes." 

Q.  V.  M.  M.  :  "Is  our  darling  all  right,  and  is  he 
happy?" 

A.  H.  M.  P.  :  "Yes."  (Rocking  of  table  indicated 
desire  to  spell.  Alphabet  repeated  by  C.  S.  M.) 

H.  M.  P.  :  "Spirit-  wo  rid  "is  beautiful.  Much  better 
than  earth-plane." 

Q.  V.  M.  M.  :  "Ma,  we  heard  Pa  say  a  man  de- 
clared manipulating  of  table  caused  by  electricity  in  our 
hands,  and  that  it  couldn't  be  done  with  a  cloth  on  table. 
If  you  can  tilt  the  table  through  cloth  we  wish  you  would. 
Will  you?" 

A.     H.  M.  P..  (weakly)  :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M.  :  "You  mean  you  will  try,  don't  you  Grand- 
ma?" 

A.     H.  M.  P.  :     "Yes." 

A  cloth  was  then  laid  over  table  top.  After  apparent 
effort  and  some  seeming  difficulty  table  was  tilted  twice. 

Q.  V.  M.  M.  :  "It  doesn't  make  any  difference,  does 
it  Ma?" 

A.     H.  M.  P.  :     "No." 

Q.  C.  S.  M.  :  "Grandma,  can  you  explain  to  us  how 
the  spirits  do  this  (referring  to  physical  phenomena)  ? 
Is  it  through  electricity,  or  magnetism,  or  what?" 

A.  H.  M.  P.  :  "It  isn't  any  known  law  of  earth.  It 
is  Spirit-Magnetism.  I  don't  understand  it,  but  I  can 
use  it.  Just  like  electricity  is  used  on  earth  (without  be- 
ing understood)  .  Raymond  Lodge  is  experimenting  on  it 
in  his  father's  laboratory.  I  am  tired." 

Q.  V.  M.  M.  :  "Do  you  want  to  say  'goodnight,' 
Ma?" 

A.  H.  M.  P.  :  "Yes.  Joe  says,  'Charlie,  kiss  my 
darling  mother  for  me.'  '  (Table  moves  in  indication 
Joe  is  present.) 

Q.     V.  M.  M.:     "Joe,  you  know  Margie?" 

A.     Joe  :    "Yes." 

Q.  V.  M.  M.:  "Can  you  spell  Margie's  name?" 
Table  tilted  to  M.  L.  M. 


OUR   JOE  131 

A.  Joe:  "Yes."  Alphabet  is  called  and  "Af-o-r-' 
g-i-e"  is  spelled. 

Joe :  "Margie  is  prettiest  girl  in  flesh  except  mama. 
All  of  you  better  be  good  to  mama  or  I  will  haunt  you.  I 
love  my  little  mother  better  than  anyone  in  earth  or  in 
the  Spirit-world." 

Joe  continues  to  spell :  "I  like  the  climate  here.  It 
is  warm  and  bright.  No  fog;  no  flees.  I  am  going  to 
school  in  this  world,  and  am  learning  what  I  didn't  have 
fair  chance  to  learn  when  I  was  a  kid.  I  have  a  swell 
teacher.  I  have  a  class  in  spelling.  Get  pencil,  I  want 
to  tell  details  of  accident." 

Pencil  and  paper  were  procured,  and  the  table  spelled 
out  the  following: 

Joe:  "I  left  camp  Sunday  morning  in  high  spirits. 
About  three  hours  later  I  found  fresh  deer  tracks.  Dog 
took  cent  (scent).  I  said,  'Here's  where  I  get  my  deer. 
I'll  give  those  guys  the  horse-laugh  when  we  get  back. 

"I  ran  quite  far  when  I  lost  trail.  I  said,  'Ain't  it 
hell!'  I  started  to  go  to  cabin  couple  of  miles.  Got  a 
drink  near.  Walked  a  ways  and  lost  sight  of  cabin.  I 
climbed  hill  for  better  view.  It  was  no  joke — " 

Q.  C.  S.  M. :  "You  mean  it  was  no  joke  climbing 
the  hill?" 

A.  Joe :  "Yes.  So  I  said,  'By  golly,  it's  hot.  Come 
on  sport  (dog)  let's  have  a  smoke.' 

"I  climbed  sort-a  straddle  on  a  fallen  tree.  I  took 
out  my  tobacco,  but  there  wasn't  enough  for  the  dog  and 
me,  too.  I  said,  'Old  pal,  you  are  out  o'  luck.'  I  rolled  a 
cigaret  and  throwed  can  down.  Gun  was  leaning  against 
my  leg.  I  reached  for  a  match  and  knocked  the  rifle  over. 
The  next  thing  I  knew  Grandma  was  holding  my  head.  I 
waked  up  in  her  arms.  Willie  held  one  of  my  hands; 
Annie  held  the  other.  I  suffered  absolutely  no  pain.  In 
the  Spirit-world  I  am  with  many  friends  and  loved  ones. 
I  am  all  in  for  this  night." 

Sitting  ended  after  "goodnights'  'were  said  all  around. 


132  OUR   JOE 

CHAPTER  XVII 

Report  of  Table  Sitting  at  home,  Friday  evening, 
October  14,  1921.  Sitters:  S.  A.  Mundell,  Verna  Mae 
Mundell,  Charles  S.  Mundell,  and  Margaret  L.  Mundell. 

In  a  comparatively  short  time  the  table  indicated,  by 
a  trembling,  quivering  vibration,  that  spirits  were  present. 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  this  Mother  Mundell?" 

No  answer. 

S.A.  M.:     "Is  this  Joe?" 

Table  tilted  three  times  in  assent. 

S.  A.  M. :     "Do  you  love  mama  tonight?" 

Joe:    "Yes."     (Strong.) 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe  darling,  would  you  like  to  spell  out 
a  message  while  we  repeat  the  alphabet?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

Table  tilted  at  the  letters  which  spelled:  "T-h-e- 
M-u-n-d-e-l-l-B-o-y"  (The  Mundell  Boy). 

We  considered  this  very  good,  and  very  character- 
istic, for  the  reason  that  Joe  was  called  by  his  fellow- 
workers  at  the  S.  P.  Yards,  and  by  his  foreman  and  others, 
"The  Mundell  Boy."  For  some  time  before  his  passing  he 
had  fallen  into  the  habit  of  calling  himself  that. 

His  mother  recalls  several  instances  where  he  came 
in  from  work  with  the  remark,  "Well,  the  Mundell  Boy 
was  up  on  the  carpet  today."  That  is,  he  was  called  into 
the  boss'  private  office  for  a  reprimand  for  some  real  or 
fancied  negligence,  or  violation  of  company  rules.  When- 
ever any  workman  was  thus  called  into  the  "private 
office"  he  was  said  to  have  been  "on  the  carpet." 

Sometimes  Joe  would  say,  "Well,  Ma,  the  Mundell 
Boy  doesn't  intend  to  slave  away  down  there  all  his  life." 

Another  expression  which  was  very  characteristic  of 
my  brother  was  the  calling  of  himself,  "Old  man  Joe." 

Sometimes  when  he  would  stay  at  home,  instead  of 
going  out  for  the  evening,  he  would  remark,  "Well,  I 
guess  Old  Man  Joe  will  stay  in  tonight." 

After  we  had  commented  upon  the  striking  phrase, 
"The  Mundell  Boy,"  the  table  spelled  out: 


OUR   JOE  133 

"Old  Man  Joe." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe  dear,  you  are  doing  this  to  convince 
us  it  is  really  you,  and  not  some  other  spirit,  operating 
this  table?" 

Joe:    "Yes." 

The  table  then  rocked  back  and  forth  in  indication 
that  the  alphabet  was  wanted.  I  called  over  the  letters 
and  Joe  spelled : 

Joe:  "George  says,  'Ask  Sam  if  he  remembers  pic- 
ture of  he  and  George,  taken  together?'." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  son,  Papa  remembers  that!" 

Joe:  "Mama,  do  you  remember  time  hog  got  me 
down  ?" 

Neither  my  father  nor  my  wife  had  ever  heard  of  this 
incident,  but  my  mother  and  I  remember  it  well. 

It  was  when  Joe  was  about  three  years  old.  We  were 
living  out  on  a  ranch  in  the  State  of  New  Mexico.  One 
day  when  brother  and  I  were  playing  in  the  yard,  an  old 
sow  got  loose  and  started  for  Joe.  She  had  him  down  on 
his  back,  with  her  two  feet  on  his  chest,  when  his  mother 
came  running  out  of  the  house  with  a  broom  and  fought 
the  sow  off. 

Joe :  "Mama,  give  Charlie  my  watch — for  I  love 
him." 

(C.  S.  M.:  "God  bless  the  dear  boy!  I  have  his 
watch  now — a  beautiful,  21-jewel  Elein,  which  he  was 
very  proud  of  when  he  was  on  the  earth-plane.  I  would 
not  part  with  that  watch  for  a  million  dollars.) 

Joe  (continuing)  :    "Brother  is  all  you  have  now." 

This  remark,  purporting  to  come  from  Joe,  caused 
his  mother  to  break  down,  and  for  a  few  minutes  she  was 
unable  to  control  her  emotion.  When  her  sobs  had  quieted 
down,  the  table  spelled  out  (apparently  in  reply  to  a 
remark  that  poor  brother  was  dead^  : 

Joe:  "Quit  thinking  I  am  dead.  I  am  alive  more 
than  on  the  earth-plane."  (He  continued)  :  "Death  is 
only  the  door  into  the  next  room.  It  is  like  moving  out 
of  a  dug-out  into  the  Hotel  Oak—"  Papa  interrupted 
with  the  question:  "Hotel  Oakland,  son?'  ' 


OUR   JOE 

Joe:     "Yes." 

After  this,  when  we  had  finished  commenting  and 
expressing  our  conviction  that  he  must  be  in  a  very  beau- 
tiful place  if  that  were  true,  he  continued : 

"I  have  a  swell  room!" 

"I  am  employed,  but  have  no  boss." 

After  this  the  table  spelled : 

"I  am  through,  but  Annie — " 

S.  A.  M. :     "Annie  want  to  talk  to  us?" 

Joe:     "No!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  mean  Annie  does  not  want  to  take 
control?" 

Joe :    "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  go  ahead,  brother  dear,  say  what 
you  want  to  say.  (Sotto  voice:  Terhaps  he  wants  to  tell 
us  something  about  Annie/  " 

Joe:  "Willie—" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  you  mean  that  Willie  wants  to  talk 
to  us?" 

Joe  (as  though  offended  at  being  interrupted  so 
often)  :  "No/" 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Joe.  We  won't  interrupt  you 
any  more.  Go  ahead." 

Joe:  "George,  Grandma  Mundell  (and)  Painter, 
Harvey,  Art — " 

V.  M.  M.:  "Art  McAnarny,  Joe?"  (A  boyhood 
friend,  passed  on  sometime  before.) 

Joe:     "Yes."    (Continued  spelling)  :   "W-a-l-l-i-s— 

We  were  all  perplexed  to  know  who  "Wallis"  could 
be.  We  could  not  recall  any  "Wallis"  we  knew  who  had 
passed  on. 

V.  M.  M.:  "Wallis  who,  Joe?  Will  you  tell  us  the 
last  name?" 

Joe :     "R-a-i-l-l-a-r-d!" 

V.  M.  M. :  "Oh,  yes,  Joe !  We  know  who  you  mean 
now!  You  mean  little  Wallis  Raillard  at  Dalhart?" 

Joe  (as  though  pleased)  :    "Yes." 

Joe :    "They  give  greetings." 


OUR   JOE  1*5 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M. :  The  sentence  as  a  whole  reads: 
"I  am  through,  but  Annie,  Willie,  George,  Grandma 
Mundell  and  Grandma  Painter,  Harvey  (Grandfather 
Mundell  probably),  Art,  (and)  Wallis,  give  greetings.) 

The  table  then  spelled  "Goodnight!" 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Report  of  Table  Sitting  at  Home,  Oct.  15,  1921. 

We  had  to  wait  a  little  longer  than  usual  this  evening. 
Apparently  the  conditions  were  not  particularly  good. 

When  the  table  indicated  Spirit  presence  my  father 
asked : 

S.A.  M.:     "Is  this  Joe?" 

No  answer. 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  this  the  Mundell  Boy?" 

Very  weak  response,  "Yes." 

Alphabet  was  called  for,  and  table  spelled : 

"This  is  G-e-o-r-g-e!" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Oh,  this  is  brother  George,  is  it?" 

George :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Uncle  George,  while  I  call  the 
alphabet  you  give  us  whatever  you  want  to." 

George:  "I  want  to  say  something  about  Joe,  He 
is  so  modest  he  won't  tell  you  about  himself." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Yes,  George,  we  know  how  modest  dear 
Joe  was !" 

George:  "Joe  can  do  this  (manipulate  table)  better 
than  any  of  us  because  he  is  a  mechanic!" 

C.  S.  M.,  S.  A.  M.,  V.  M.  M.,  M.  L.  M.  (in  chorus  of 
surprise)  :  "Because  he  is  a  mechanic?" 

George:    "Yes!" 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M. :  We  were  amazed  by  this  state- 
ment because  we  could  not  conceive  how  a  knowledge  of 
mechanics  could  have  anything  to  do  with  what  Grandma 
had  styled  "Spirit  Magnetism.") 

George  continued :  "Joe's  experience  as  an  air-man 
has  been  a  great  help  to  us  in  the  Spirit-world.  I  can't 
explain  how  that  is,  but  it  is  a  fact!" 


136  OUR   JOE 

V.  M.  M. :     "Isn't  that  strange !" 

George :  "Communication  is  hard  tonight.  Joe  is  a 
fine  boy.  We  are  all  proud  of  Joe.  He  is  the  life  of  the 
whole  bunch." 

After  this  the  table  spelled  out:     "Goodnight." 

CHAPTER  XIX 

Report  of  Message  given  to  me  by  Mrs.  R.  Hyams, 
Sunday  evening,  Oct.  16,  at  Public  Meeting,  Trinity 
Spiritual  Church,  529  Twelfth  Street,  Oakland,  California. 

Mrs.  R.  Hyams:  "You  are  an  investigator — a  deep 
one — you  sift  all  evidence.  You  do  not  accept  everything 
you  hear.  That  is  right! 

"You  want  to  know  for  yourself.  You  cannot  be 
satisfied  merely  with  the  evidence  of  others. 

"You  are  going  to  grow  Spiritually.  You  are  going 
to  see  a  departed  loved  one  (apparition)  and  then  you 
will  know  he  lives!  You  will  'jump  when  you  see  him! 
Use  your  pencil — you  will  get  automatic  writing." 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  are  not  the  only  medium  who  has 
told  me  I  could  get  automatic  writing !" 

Mrs.  R.  Hyams:  "Did  I  ever  see  you  before,  or  did 
you  ever  see  me  before?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "No,  not  that  I  was  ever  aware  of.  If  I 
ever  saw.  you  before  I  certainly  don't  recall  it." 

Mrs.  R.  H. :  "You  really  have  strong  psychic  powers, 
but  you  must  develop  them !" 

CHAPTER  XX 

Report  of  Table  Sitting  at  Home,  October  18,  1921, 
Oakland,  California.  Sitters:  J.  S.  Painter,  V.  M.  Mun- 
dell,  C.  S.  Mundell,  Margaret  L.  Mundell. 

After  prayer  and  a  few  minutes*  silence,  the  table 
indicated  spirit  presence.  Alphabet  was  called  for  and 
table  spelled:  H-a-r-r-i-e-t. 

Grandpa  Painter  ( J.  S.  P.)  was  very  glad  of  this,  for 
he  had  come  down  to  the  sitting  for  the  purpose,  not  only 
of  again  witnessing  the  queer  phenomenon  of  a  table  tilt-  . 
ing  back  and  forth  without  the  application  of  muscular  or 


OUR   JOE  137 

physical  energy,  but  because  he  was  quite  anxious  to  ask 
a  few  questions  for  his  personal  satisfaction. 

After  the  table  had  spelled  "Harriet,"  we  told  Grand- 
pa to  go  ahead  and  ask  his  quesitons. 

J.  S.  P. :  "Well,  Harriet,  if  this  is  really  you,  can 
you  tell  me  if  my  sister  Jane,  and  her  husband,  are  there 
with  you?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  mean,  Grandma,  that  they  are  with 
you?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "Yes." 

J.  S.  P. :  "Can  you  tell  me  if  Vene  and  Henry  are 
there?" 

H.  M.  P.:     "Yes." 

J.  S.  P. :     "And  the  two  children?" 

No  answer. 

Table  indicated  alphabet  was  desired. 

V.  M.  M. :     "Do  you  want  to  spell?" 

H.  M.  P.:     "Yes." 

The  table  then  tilted  off  the  following  sentence,  pur- 
porting to  come  from  Grandma  Painter : 

H.  M.  P. :  "Charley  is  here  with  me — and  Lily.  Joe 
also.  I  love  my  Sam!  (Meaning  J.  S.  P.)  I  love  all  of 
you." 

(To  V.  M.  M.)  "Vernie,  Joe  says,  'I  was  with  you 
last  night,  but  I  could  not  materialize.  I  did  my  best,  but 
conditions  made  it  impossible.  Materializing  is  awful 
hard  without  a  good  medium.  I  am  afraid  I  can  never 
make  you  see  or  hear  me  without  the  help  of  a  strong 
medium. 

"Ectoplasm,  a  psychic  magnetism  possessed  by  a  very 
few,  is  absolutely  necessary  to  materialization. 

"I  am  tired.    We  all  wish  you  Goodnight !" 
(End  of  Sitting  of  October  18.) 

Concerning  the  message  to  my  mother  it  might  be 
well  to  explain  that  she  had,  on  the  previous  night,  while 
my  wife  and  I  were  in  Berkeley,  where  I  delivered  a  lec- 
ture, gone  into  the  parlor  where  Joe  was  wont  to  spend  so 
much  of  his  time  at  the  player-piano,  and  waited  in  the 


138  OUR   JOE 

hope  that  she  might  see  or  hear  her  darling.  No  such 
manifestation  as  clairvoyance  or  claraudience  came,  and 
she  was  deeply  disappointed.  Hence,  the  message  from 
Joe  to  assure  his  mother  that  he  was  with  her  the  evening 
before,  although  he  was  unable  to  demonstrate  his  pres- 
ence to  her  sight  or  hearing. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Report  of  Table  Sitting  at  Home,  October  20,  1921, 
Oakland,  California. 

Before  I  proceed  to  describe  the  table  sitting  of  Oct. 
20  it  might  be  well  to  mention  the  fact  that  the  previous 
Sunday  afternoon  (Oct.  16) ,  my  father  and  I  had  attended 
a  meeting  under  the  auspices  of  the  Fruitvale  Spiritualist 
Church,  at  Carpenters'  Hall,  on  East  Twelfth  Street,  Oak- 
land. Nothing  of  very  much  consequence  was  received 
at  this  meeting,  but  I  mention  it  because  Joe  refers  to  it 
in  our  table  sitting  of  the  20th. 

To  those  of  my  readers  who  may  understand  very 
little  about  Modern  Spiritualism,  or  who  may  never  have 
attended  a  Message  service,  I  wish  to  offer  a  word  of 
caution :  When  you  attend  ^such  a  meeting,  be  prepared 
to  come  away  disappointed.*  You  may  not  receive  any- 
thing whatever  of  value !  You  may  be  given  a  message, 
not  a  word  of  which  you  are  able  to  recognize!  Or  you 
may  even  be  given  a  "message,"  every  word  of  which  you 
may  know  to  be  incorrect.  I  have  seen  this  done  many 
times. 

For  instance,  I  have  heard  a  confirmed  old  bachelor 
given  an  extremely  affectionate  message  from  a  spirit- 
wife,  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  never  been 
married ! 

I  have  heard  childless  couples  given  messages  from 
spirit-children,  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  couple  never 
had  a  child! 

I  have  heard  messages  given  to  sons  and  daughters 
by  fathers  and  mothers,  when  those  fathers  and  mothers 
were  not  even  in  spirit-life ! 


OUR   JOE  139 

I  myself  was  once  given  a  message  from  my  mother, 
when  my  mother  was  very  much  in  the  flesh ! 

In  the  first  appendix  of  this  book  these  matters  will  be 
taken  up  and  treated  with  all  seriousness.  I  mention  them 
in  this  connection  merely  as  a  warning  to  my  readers  not 
to  give  up  an  investigation  of  Spiritualism  and  of  Psychic 
Phenomena  because  of  a  few  experiences  of  this  sort. 

Among  the  mediums  who  gave  messages  at  this  ser- 
vice (there  were  several)  was  a  Mrs.  Shields,  a  colored 
woman.  She  picked  up  my  fountain  pen,  which  I  had 
placed  on  the  table  with  numerous  articles  placed  there 
by  others,  and  holding  it  a  few  seconds,  with  eyes  closed, 
said: 

Mrs.  Shields:  "To  the  owner  of  this  fountain  pen 
there  comes  three  who  have  passed  into  spirit-life:  it 
seems  that  one  must  be  a  father  (possibly  my  Grand- 
father) ,  one  is  a  brother  who  seems  to  have  passed  out 
quickly,  and  the  other  is  the  Spirit  of  one  who  was  lame 
before  passing  out.  They  all  show  me  that  the  owner  of 
this  pen  is  a  person  of  strong  psychic  powers  himself,  and 
that  he  could  use  these  powers  in  healing." 

That  was  all,  so  far  as  I  can  remember.  I  may  say, 
however,  that  Mrs.  Shields  seemed  to  give  some  excellent 
messages  to  several  others;  persons  who  professed  to 
"understand"  them,  and  to  recognize  them  as  being 
correct. 

Those  present  at  the  Table  Sitting  of  Oct.  20: 
C.  S.  M.,  M.  L.  M.,  and  V.  M.  M. 

After  a  brief  interval  of  prayer  and  concentration 
the  table  began  to  move,  and  when  the  alphabet  was  re- 
peated spelled  out  J-o-e! 

Joe:  "Mama,  itkisstywmprue—  the  table  evi- 
denced confusion. 

V.  M.  M. :  "We've  made  some  mistake,  haven't  we, 
Joe  dear?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "All  right,  we'll  begin  again." 

During  the  first  several  minutes  of  this  sitting  I  was 
aware  of  a  peculiar  feeling — a  sort  of  drowsiness,  and 


140  OUR   JOE 

yet,  not  an  ordinary  drowsiness.  My  mother  and  Mar- 
garet were  a  little  vexed  at  me,  I  think,  for  what  they 
thought  must  be  indifference.  I  felt  a  sort  of  numbness  in 
my  hands  and  arms,  and  my  head  ached  in  a  peculiar  way. 

Mama  repeated  the  alphabet  and  the  table  spelled: 
i.  e.,  Joe  spelled : 

"I  have  been  trying  to  seize  Charlie's  mind  and  con- 
trol his  physical  organs. 

"Grandma  says  Charlie  has  mediumistic  powers." 

C.  S.  M.:  "Well,  Joe!  Is  that  really  so?  I  have 
been  so  informed  by  several  mediums,  but  I  haven't  taken 
any  stock  in  it  myself.  Tell  me,  what  kind  of  a  medium 
do  you  think  I  am?  Will  you  answer  my  questions?" 

Joe:    "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Have  I  any  clairvoyant  powers?" 

Joe:     "Yes." 

C.S.M.:     "Clairaudient?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M.:     "Trance?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M.:     "Materializing?" 

Joe:     'Wo/"     (Emphatically) 

(Note  by  C.  S.M.)  I  really  do  not  know  what  to  say 
about  these  things  which  mediums  have  told  me,  and 
which  are  here  recorded;  concerning  my  possessing  such 
powers  as  clairvoyance,  clairaudience,  and  trance.  It  may 
be  true,  but  certainly,  as  yet  I  have  not  discovered  it. 
Until  I  have  received  absolute  and  unquestionable  proof 
I  shall  neither  affirm  nor  deny  these  assertions,  but  I 
must  have  more  evidence  of  the  facts  than  I  have  yet 
received. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  do  you  know  any  spirit  who 
has  controlled  anyone  on  the  earth-plane?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Anyone  we  know,  Joe  ?" 

The  table  here  rocked  back  and  forth  indicating 
alphabet  was  desired. 

Joe:  "I  controlled  Emma  Nanning  and  Marie 
Wallace." 


OUR   JOE  J41 

M.  L.  M. :     "Did  you  come  thru  any  others,  Joe?" 

Joe:  "I  came  to  Dad  and  Charlie  last  Sunday  thru 
Mrs.  Shields." 

C.  S.  M.:     "Mrs.  Shields,  the  colored  medium?' 

Joe:     "In  our  world  there  is  no  difference  in  color!" 

"Mama,  do  you  remember  how  I  used  to  hate  the 
wops?" 

V.  M.M. :  "Yes,  son,  mama  remembers  how  you 
used  to  hate  the  wops !  You  don't  hate  them  so  much  now, 
do  you?" 

Joe:  "I  am  a  Christian  now,  and  Christians  don't 
hate  anybody." 

V.  M. . :     "Mama  is  awful  glad  oi  that,  dear  boy." 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  darling,  did  you  see  mama  at  the 
cemetery  today,  when  she  visited  your  grave?" 

Joe:  (very  slowly,  as  tho  sadLy)  "Yes."  Here  the 
table,  with  a  deliberate  suddenness  tilted  over  into  V.  M. 
M.'s  lap,  and  did  this  three  times,  as  tho  desiring  to 
caress  her. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Did  you  see  the  pretty  flowers  mama 
placed  on  your  grave?" 

Joe:    "Yes."    Alphabet  was  again  called  for. 

"Say  mama,  we  sure  will  have  some  time  when  you 
come  to  this  beautiful  place." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Will  it  be  long,  darling  boy,  before 
mama  comes  to  her  b#by?" 

Joe :  "I  don't  want  to  take  you  away  from  Charlie 
and  Margie  and  Papa,  but  believe  me,  I  will  be  glad  to  see 
each  of  my  dear  ones  as  you  come  over." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  dear,  could  you  see  your  body,  from 
the  time  you  (your  spirit)  left  it  until  it  was  found?" 

Jce :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  did  you  come  to  Toronto  to  mother 
and  impress  her?  (After  the  accident?) 

Joe :    "Grandma  did,  but  I  couldn't !" 

"Let  me  go  now  for  this  time.  I  want  you  to  have 
another  sitting  with  a  good  medium.  I  can  demonstrate 
better  with  help.  Goodnight." 


142  OUR   JOE 

After  this  we  waited  a  few  minutes  to  give  oppor- 
tunity to  any  other  spirit  who  might  wish  to  come.  In  a 
few  moments  the  table  moved,  and  then  spelled  out 
A-n-n-i-e. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  this  is  little  sister  Annie.  Well,  we 
are  very  glad  to  have  you  come  dear!" 

(Here  several  questions  were  asked,  but  I  omit  them 
because  of  their  purely  personal  and  intimate  character.) 

Annie:  (tilting  out  the  letters)  :  "Annie  loves 
mama !" 

V.  M.  M. :  "Yes,  darling,  mama  knows  you  do. 
Mama  loves  Anna  too !" 

Annie :     "Yes." 

"We  all  four  love  mama !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  four,  Annie?  You  mean  Willie,  and 
Joe,  and  you,  and — who  else?  Grandma?" 

Annie:  "No!"'  (Evidently  meaning,  "that's  not  the 
fourth  one  I  mean.) 

M.  L.  M. :  "You  mean  Charlie,  who  is  here  with  us, 
don't  you  Annie?" 

Annie :     "No." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Do  you  mean  the  little  fellow  we  never 
knew?  The  one  Mrs.  Wallace  told  papa  passed  out  before 
birth?" 

Annie:    (quite  vigorously,  as  tho  pleased)   "Yes." 

Then  she  spelled :  "But  Charlie  loves  mama  too !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  bet  I  do !  We  all  love  mama,  don't 
we,  little  sister?" 

Annie:     (vigorously)  "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Annie  dear,  do  you  know  your  cousin 
Mae  has  been  sick?" 

Annie :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Do  you  think  Mae  will  come  out  of  it  all 
right?" 

Annie :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "That's  good !  Annie  dear,  do  you  know 
Mae's  little  boy,  Jack,  Jr.,  and  all  her  little  brothers  and 
sisters?" 


OUR   JOE  143 

Annie :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Annie  dear,  do  you  know  the  condition 
your  Grandpa  Painter  is  in  now?  His  poor  health?" 

Annie :    "Yes." 

V.  M.  M.:     "Do  you  think  he  will  ever  get  well?" 

Annie:  "I  don't  know.  God  keeps  some  things  from 
us ! 

"Sister  is  tired.     Goodnight !" 


CHAPTER  XXII 

Report  of  messages  received  at  Trance  Seance,  at 
home  of  Mrs.  M.  J.  Isles,  1288  California  street,  San 
Francisco,  Gal.,  Friday  evening,  Oct.  21,  1921. 

We  were  impressed  to  attend  a  seance  of  Mrs.  Isles, 
by  an  item  we  read  in  The  Progressive  Thinker,  a  Chicago 
Spiritualist  Weekly,  to  the  effect  that  Mrs.  Isles  was  a 
very  gifted  and  powerful  psychic  and  medium. 

After  music  and  a  brief  talk  by  one  of  the  workers, 
W.  D.  Rundall,  on  the  scientific  aspects  of  Spiritualism, 
Mrs.  Isles  went  into  a  trance.  She  professed  to  become 
controled  by  her  child-guide,  Jewell. 

After  giving  messages  to  perhaps  ten  or  twelve  other 
parties,  Mrs.  Isles  was  led  (by  her  control,  her  eyes  being 
closed  during  the  whole  of  the  trance) 'to  my  mother. 

Before  continuing  further  I  want  to  strongly  empha- 
size the  fact  that  this  was  positively  our  first  time  to  see 
or  meet  Mrs.  Isles,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  she 
ever  saw  any  of  us  before. 

Mrs.  Isles  (to  mother)  "I  want  to  come  to  a  little 
mama  over  here.  Dear  one,  you  have  lost  a  dear  boy,  and 
your  heart  has  been  broken.  I  feel  just  like  I  want  to 
love  you."  She  took  my  mother's  hands  tenderly  in  her 
own,  and  continued :  "He  shows  me  something  green — 
away  from  here — he  passed  out  away  from  you." 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M.  Joe  was  evidently  trying  to  show 
Mrs.  Isles  the  hillside,  green  with  grass,  where  he  was  so 
tragically  killed.) 


144  OUR  JOE 

Mrs.  I. :  "He  comes  very  close  to  you  tonight.  An- 
other spirit  comes  to  you  dear  one,  a  little  boy  who  passed 
out  when  very  small.  He  says,  'I  am  Willie,  and  I'm  with 
Joey.' 

"Also  a  beautiful  girl  comes.  She  passed  out  in  in- 
fancy, but  she  has  grown  up  in  the  Spiritrworld,  and  is 
now  a  beautiful  young  woman." 

Then  she  came  to  M.  L.  M. 

"I  want  to  come  to  this  little  lady  here.  I  hear  the 
name  'Margie/  or  something  like  that."  (She  gave  the 
g  a  hard  pronunciation.)  "Margie,"  soft  g,  was  our  pet 
name  for  Margaret. 

"Your  father  comes  to  you  dear.  He  passed  out  when 
you  were  a  very  little  girl.  You  don't  remember  much 
about  him,  but  he  loves  you  dearly.  He  says  you  have 
been  worrying  about  hearing  from  someone  a  long  way 
from  here.  (This  was  quite  true.)  That  dear  one  is  all 
right." 

To  C.  S.  M.,  she  said : 

Mrs.  Isles :  "Some  one  comes  to  you — I  get  the  name 
'Arriet,  Arriet,' — something  like  that,  (I  knew  Mrs.  Isles 
to  be  English,  and  knew  also  that  the  English  have  a 
hard  time  pronouncing  the  letter  *H,'  except  where  it 
ought  not  to  be,  so  I  imagined  she  was  trying  to  say 
'Harriet,'  the  name  of  my  Grandmother.  However,  so 
stubborn  was  I  that  I  gave  no  sign  until  she  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  saying) ,  'Arriet — H — arriet — Harriet !  comes  to 
you !" 

C.  S.  M. :     "I  am  very  glad." 

Mrs.  Isles :  "Three  other  spirits  come  to  you,  and  a 
fourth — the  fourth  says  he  is  your  guide.  They  say  tell 
you — "  (Here  followed  a  series  of  personal  admonitions 
and  advice.  This  is  purposely  omitted  because  of  its 
peculiarly  intimate  character.) 

We  considered  these,  our  first  messages  from  Mrs. 
T«les.  verv  crood,  ancj  verv  evidential. 

The  reader  will  note  the  fact  that  three  unknown 
mediums — Mrs.  Nanning,  Mrs.  Wallace  and  Mrs.  Isles- 
gave  us  practically  the  same  sort  of  communications,  and 
each  time  at  our  first  meetings  with  them. 


OUR   JOE  145 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

Report  of  table  sitting  at  home,  Oct.  22,  1921. 

After  unusually  earnest  and  reverent  prayer  and  con- 
centration the  table  tilted  three  times,  and  then  spelled 
out  J-o-e. 

C.  S.  M. :  "We  are  so  glad  to  have  you  come,  dear 
brother.  You  cannot  know  how  we  miss  you,  and  how 
dearly  we  love  you.  We  never  realized  how  much  we  did 
love  you  till  you  were  taken  away  from  us !" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Joe,  do  you  know  that  mama  and  Charlie 
Mss  your  picture,  and  cry  for  you,  every  night?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Darling,  mother  misses  you  so  much,  she 
doesn't  see  how  she  can  possibly  live  without  you.  You 
know  that?" 

Joe:  (slowly,  and  tenderly)  "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Joe,  boy,  did  you  come  to  us  last  night 
thru  Mrs.  Isles?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Darling,  do  you  want  to  spell  something 
thru  the  table?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

"Joe :  "Mama  Joe  is  all  right.  Mama,  I  love  you.  I 
will  always  be  mama's  boy.  My  darling  mother  I  know 
liow  you  have  suffered.  I  will  help  you.  I  will  demon- 
strate the  fact  that  I  live  to  the  whole  world." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Joe,  are  you  still  here?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "We're  waiting,  Joe." 

Joe:  "Mama,  I  never  did  take  much  interest  in 
spiritual  questions  before  I  came  over  here.  Now  I  am 
going  to  make  up  for  lost  time." 

Joe :  "I  am  glad  you  are  writing  down  all  we  say 
for  I,  that  is,  we  want  all  this  carefully  recorded  for  future 
publication.  Do  you  remember  last  light  when  the  medium 
said,  'Someone  would  write  a  book." 


146  OUR   JOE 

(This  astonished  us  somewhat,  as  it  was  what  the 
medium  said,  and  none  of  us  were  thinking  of  it  at  the 
time  it  was  mentioned  by  Joe.) 

"I  want  you  (Charlie)  to  write  a  book  in  memory  of 
Joe." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Joe,  God  helping  me,  I  will,  and 
may  God  help  me  to  be  worthy  of  the  task." 

C.  S.  M. :     "What  shall  I  name  the  book,  Joe?" 

Joe :     "Joe.' 

C.  S.  M. :     "Do  you  mean  call  the  book  "Joe." 

Joe:     "Yes." 

"  'Raymond'  helped  thousands  of  broken-hearted 
souls,  'Joe'  may  help  to  bring  comfort  and  hope  to  many. 
Grandma  wants  to  come.  Goodnight." 

Table  spelt  "Harriet." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Grandma.  What  is  it  you 
wish  to  say?" 

H.  M.  P. :  "Joe  says,  'Charlie  you  are  a  good  writer. 
Your  book  will  make  Joe  live  again/  Joe  says,  'If  it  helps 
convince  the  world  of  Spiritualism,  his  death  will  not  have 
been  in  vain.'  You  are  tired.  We  will  come  again  next 
time." 

V.  M.  M. :  "You  are  tired,  and  want  to  say  'Good- 
night,' mother?" 

H.  M.  P.     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "All  right,  mother,  but  I  would  like  to 
ask  you  a  question  before  you  go.  You  you  know  that  Ed. 
Stout,  of  Dalhart,  has  passed  over?" 

H.  M.  P.     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Have  you  seen  him?" 

H.  M.  P.     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Has  he  met  his  little  boy,  Mackie?" 

H.  M.  P.     "Yes." 

V.  M.M.:     "And  Art?" 

F.  M.  P.     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Was  he  surprised  to  find  the  spirit-world 
like  it  i«?" 

H.  M.  P. :     "No." 


OUR   JOE  J47 

V.  M.  M. :     "Does  he  like  it?" 
H.  M.  P.     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Is  he  now  so  he  realizes  things?" 
H.  M.  P. :     "Yes."    Then  the  table  spelt  "Goodnight" 
and  the  sitting  ended. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Report  of  table  sitting  at  home,  Oct.  24,  1921. 

Sitters :  C.  S.  M.,  M.  L.  M.,  V.  M.  M. 

This  time  we  waited  perhaps  fifteen  minutes  when 
Joe  came.  After  spelling  out  his  name  he  tilted  the  table 
into  his  mother's  lap,  as  tho  in  loving  greeting. 

Joe:  "I  want  to  say  more  about  book.  Mama  can 
help  C" — (here  the  table  tilted  over  to  me)  then  at 
the  letter  "M"  the  table  tilted  oved  to  Margaret;  after 
this  confusion,  and  discussion  as  to  what  Joe  meant. 

Joe:  "Mama  and  Margie  can  help  Charlie.  Three 
of  you  write  book." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Joe,  did  you  see  us  working  on  the  book 
yesterday,  and  did  you  see  me  typing  off  the  reports  of 
our  table  and  medium  sittings  ?" 

Joe:  "Yes."  (Continued)  "Book  Joe  will  be  help  to 
hundreds  who  have  lost  dear  ones.  Grandma  put  it  in  my 
head.  Charlie,  do  your  level  best.  I  will  say  no  more 
now." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Why,  Joe,  dear.    Is  something  wrong?" 

Joe:  "No,  but  I  want  you  to  catch  up  with  type- 
writing before  any  of  us  come  again." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Before  you  go,  Joe  dear,  I  want  to  ask 
you  a  few  questions.  Will  you  answer  them  ?" 

Joe :    (emphatically)    "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Do  you  know  where  papa  is  now?" 

Joe:    "No." 

V.  M.  M. :  (surprised)  "You  don't  know  where 
papa  is?" 

Joe :    "No." 


OUR  JOE 

V.  M.'M. :  Soto  voce:  "That's  strange.  He  always 
seemed  to  know  before !' 

M.  L.  M. :     "Joe,  do  you  know  where  he  went?" 

Joe:    "Chi." 

C.  S.  M. :     "You  mean  he  went  to  Chicago?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

(Note :  This  was  true.  My  father  had  been  called  to 
Chicago  for  a  conference  of  all  the  general  chairmen  of 
all  the  shop  crafts,  in  connection  with  the  railroad  strike 
crisis.) 

M.  L.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  don't  you  know  where  your 
papa  is?" 

Joe  (spelling)  "I  think  he  is  in  bed." 

This  answer  we  thought  rather  amusing. 

Joe :    "Letter— Miss " 

(Note:  In  the  morning's  mail  had  come  a  letter  to 
Joe  from  a  young  lady  in  Oklahoma.  She  had  written  in 
answer  to  a  letter  he  had  written  over  two  months  before. 
She  wrote  that  her  delay  had  been  occasioned  by  a  mis- 
placement of  his  address.)  He  went  on  to  spell  out  that 
he  knew  the  letter  had  come,  and  that  he  had  looked  over 
our  shoulders  at  the  snapshot  pictures  enclosed.) 

Joe :  "Write  and  explain  to  her  (about  his  accident) . 
She  looks  like  some  chicken!" 

We  were  quite  amused  at  this.  It  was  a  character- 
istic remark  of  Joe's.  He  went  on  to  say : 

"Dance— Idora  Park*******have  lots  of  fun!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "What  do  you  mean,  Joe?  Do  you  mean 

that  Miss and  you  could  have  danced,  and  had 

lots  of  fun,  at  Idora  Park?" 

Joe:  (rocking  the  table  as  tho  laughing)  "Yes." 
(continuing)  Laff  now.  I  like  to  see  mama  laff.  I  get  a 
kick  out  of  seeing  mama  lauff .  We  have  lots  of  fun  over 
here.  The  only  thing  that  makes  us  sad,  is  when  we  see 
you  sad." 

(End  of  sitting  of  the  24th.) 


OUR   JOE  14-9 


CHAPTER  XXV 

Report  of  private  sitting  of  V.  M.  M.,  with  Mrs.  Marie 
Wallace,  1219  Fillmore,  San  Francisco,  CaL,  Wednesday 
afternoon,  Oct.  26,  1921. 

Nearly  a  month  had  elapsed  since  my  mother,  my 
wife,  and  I  had  dropped  casually  into  Mrs.  Wallace's  Open 
Meeting  in  San  Francisco.  Since  that  evening,  Mrs.  Wal- 
lace had  doubtless  given  messages  and  sittings  to  scores 
of  others.  It  had  been  22  days  since  my  father  had  been 
given  his  sitting  with  her.  My  mother  decided  to  go  to 
her  for  a  private  sitting,  secretly  hoping  Mrs.  Wallace 
would  not  remember  having  seen  her  before.  Whether  or 
not  the  medium  did  remember  her,  mother  had  no  way 
of  knowing,  but  she  certainly  betrayed  no  recognition, 
or  manifested  any  sign,  that  she  had  ever  seen  my  mother 
before.  It  is  possible  she  did  not  remember  my  mother. 
Then  again,  it  is  possible  she  did.  I  wish  to  lay  no 
particular  stress  upon  the  matter,  but  I  merely  mention 
it  for  what  it  is  worth. 

As  must  have  been  her  method,  she  first  gave  my 
mother  a  sketch  of  her  life,  from  her  birth  to  the  present 
time,  all  of  which  was  quite  accurate. 

Mrs.  W. :     "You  have  had  five  children." 

V.  M.  M. :     "No,  Mrs.  Wallace,  only  four." 

Mrs.  W. :  (apparently  very  much  confused)  "But 
I  see  five!" 

V.  M.  M. :  "Well,  there  was  one  which  did  not  reach 
mature  birth.  Could  that  be  the  fifth  ?" 

Mrs.  W. :  "It  must  be!  I  see  five.  One  girl  and 
four  boys !" 

(Mrs.  W.  continuing)  "Three  of  these  passed  out  in 
infancy,  and  two  grew  up  to  manhood. 

"I  see  very  troubled  conditions  with  one — you  baby. 
(Joe  was  the  baby)  He  went  away  somewhere.  I  can't 
quite  see  what  the  trouble  was!  (Then  the  medium 
shivered  as  tho  in  a  chill,  and  continued)  He  passed  out 
quickly — by  an  accident. 


150  OUR   JOE 

"Joe  says,  'Mama,  I  am  happy.  Don't  grieve.'  I  see  a 
light — a  beautiful  light  over  your  head — it's  the  light  he 
(Joe)  is  carrying. 

"Joe  says  he  wants  to  give  you  a  test  (i.  e.,  a  proof 
that  it  was  really  Joe  talking,  and  not  the  medium's 
imagination). 

Joe:  (speaking  thru  Mrs.  Wallace)  :  "Tell  Charlie  to 
go  on  with  that  book  he  is  writing,  and  to  leave  that  other 
writing  alone  for  the  present.  I  will  help  him." 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M.)  How  could  Mrs.  Wallace  have 
possibly  known  I  was  writing  a  book?  Joe  had  com- 
manded me,  thru  the  table  sitting  of  Oct.  22,  only  four 
days  before,  to  write  down  all  our  psychic  investigations 
for  future  publication,  and  to  call  the  book  "Joe."  I  had 
not  seen  Mrs.  W.,  or  any  other  medium  subsequent  to 
that,  nor  had  I  mentioned  the  matter  to  any  one  outside 
the  family.  Unless  Mrs.  W.  read  this  from  my  mother's 
mind,  it  indicated  a  test :  that  Joe  gave  this  thru  Mrs.  W, 
as  evidence  that  it  was  really  him. 

"That  other  writing,"  to  which  Joe  referred,  and 
which  he  suggested  I  "leave  alone  for  the  present,"  evi- 
dently meant  some  magazine  articles  and  editorials  I 
had  been  contemplating,  in  connection  with  the  starting 
of  a  liberal  religious  and  sociological  monthly,  "The  Open 
Mind."  Robert  Whitaker  and  I  had  been  working  on  this 
proposition,  but  we  found  the  idea  to  be  impractical,  and 
abandoned  it.  Again,  I  insist,  how  in  God's  name  did  Mrs. 
W.  learn  all  this,  if  it  did  not  come  from  my  brother  Joe, 
exactly  as  purported? 

One  peculiar  feature  of  my  mother's  sitting  with  Mrs. 
Wallace"  was  this : 

Between  the  two  (Mrs.  W.  and  V.  M.  M.)  was  a 
heavy,  four-legged  table,  covered  with  a  thick  table  cover, 
and  having  a  large  flower-pot,  dish  of  "calling  cards,"  and 
other  articles  on  its  top. 

When  Joe  came  the  medium  reached  across  the  table 
and  took  my  mother's  hands :  immediately  the  table  com- 
menced moving  toward  my  mother.  Mrs.  W.  pulled  it  back 
four  or  five  times,  but  it  continued  moving  over  to  V.  M. 


OUR   JOE  757 

M.  Also,  a  peculiar  pulsating,  throbbing,  thump,  thump, 
thump  could  be  heard  on  the  table  top,  almost  under  my 
mother's  right  arm. 

Mrs.  Wallace  invited  my  mother  to  make  inspection 
around  and  under  the  table,  to  make  sure  there  was  no 
trickery.  My  mother  states  she  is  sure  Mrs.  Wallace's 
limbs  were  not  even  touching  the  table,  nor,  so  far  as  my 
mother  could  see,  was  the  medium  pushing  the  table  in 
any  way.  During  the  entire  sitting  the  table  thrilled  and 
quivered  in  most  weird  and  peculiar  manner. 

Of  course,  in  view  of  our  table-sittings  at  home  my 
mother  was  not  surprised. 

When  Mrs.  Wallace  seemed  a  little  worried  and  sus- 
picious lest  my  mother  think  there  was  some  trickery 
about  the  table's  actions,  V.  M.  M.  assured  her  that  it  was 
all  right,  and  informed  her  that  we  had  been  having  table- 
sittings  in  our  own  home. 

During  the  sitting  "Harriet"  also  came,  and  mother 
was  asked  if  she  knew  "Harriet."  She  replied  that  she 
did. 

Mrs.  W. :  "Elizabeth  also  comes — Elizabeth  M-u-n- 
d-e-l-l!  Who  is  that?" 

V.  M.  M. :     "My  husband's  mother." 

Shortly  after  this  Mrs.  Wallace  indicated  that  the 
"reading"  was  over,  and  gave  my  mother  opportunity  to 
ask  any  questions  she  might  wish. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Well,  ask  Joe  what  name  they  give  to  the 
little  brother  we  never  knew.  The  one  that  passed  out 
before  birth." 

Mrs.  W. :  "I  will  try."  (after  a  few  moments'  con- 
centration) "I  hear  the  name  'Sanl !  Sam!  Do  you  know 
any  one  by  that  name?" 

V.  M.  M. :  "Well,  my  father's  father  was  named 
Sam." 

Mrs.  W. :    "I  don't  think  that's  the  one  he  means." 
Then  she  saked :    "Isn't  your  husband's  name  Sam?" 
V.  M.  M. :     "Yes,  it  is." 

Mrs.  W. :  "Well,  I  think  that's  what  the  'little  un- 
known' is  called — Sam,  for  his  papa." 


152  OUR   JOE 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

Report  of  messages  received  from  Mrs.  M.  J.  Isles, 
1288  California  street,  San  Francisco,  California,  Wednes- 
day evening,  Oct.  26, 1921. 

After  giving  messages  to  several  others,  Mrs.  Isles 
came  to  my  mother. 

Mrs.  I. :     "I  want  to  come  to  this  little  lady  here. . 

"A  young  man  comes  to  you — he  seems  tall — must 
have  passed  out  quickly!  Others  are  helping  him  to 
come.  A  lady  and  an  old  man  come  with  him — old  man 
has  beard  and  (here  medium's  shoulders  stooped)  he  looks 
like  a  soldier — yes —  he  was  an  old  soldier!  (Evidently 
Grandpa  Mundell.) 

"This  young  man  that  comes  is  very  strong — full  of 
force  and  life — (he  must  have  passed  out  quickly  to  be  so 
strong ! ) 

(Note  by  C.  S.  M.  See  sitting  with  Mrs.  Nanning, 
Sept.  24,  concerning  Joe's  coming  with  such  unusual 
strength.) 

Mrs.  I. :  (continuing)  "This  young  man  seems  tail- 
has  brown  hair — brown  eyes — was  very  strong — and  he 
used  to  be  in  constant  touch  with  you." 

(Note:  By  studying  Joe's  latest  picture,  reproduced 
in  frontispiece,  the  reader  will  see  that  Mrs.  Isles'  descrip- 
tion was  very  accurate.  He  did  have  light-brown  hair, 
brown  eyes,  was  strong  and  husky,  and  was  in  constant 
touch  with  his  mother  until  the  time  of  his  passing.  He 
was  not,  however,  very  tall.  In  height  he  was  approxi- 
mately the  same  as  his  father.  He  really  appeared  taller 
that  he  was.  But  he  wars  taller  than  his  brother  by  a  great 
deal.) 

"He  says,  'Don't  grieve.'  (Precisely  the  same  two 
words  used  by  Mrs.  W.  the  same  afternoon.)  There 
seems  to  have  been  some  kind  of  affinity  between  you — 
seems  like  you  are  his  mother — and  yet.  both  like  a  son 
and  sweetheart.  Did  he  ever  call  you  pal  ?" 

V.  M.  M. :     "I  don't  remember  that  he  ever  did." 

Mrs.  I. :     "Well,  he  says  something  about  'pal.' 


OUR   JOE  153 

(Note:  This  seems  altogether  appropriate,  and  per- 
fectly natural  for  Joe  to  say.  He  and  his  mother  were 
pals,  and  tho  he  may  never  have  called  her  that,  it  seems 
as  tho  Joe  must  have  been  trying  to  tell  the  medium  that 
he  and  his  mother  were  not  so  much  like  "sweethearts," 
as  she  had  hinted,  but  pals — pals.) 

Mrs.  I.:     "Did  he  ever  call  you  'mama?' ' 

V.  M.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  I  couldn't  seem  to  tell  whether  he 
meant  a  mama  or  a  sweetheart.  He  calls  you  'mama'  and 
he  says,  'I  am  your  boy  still.' '  (See  table  sitting  of  Oct. 
10,  where  Joe  says:  "Does  mama  remember  how  I  was 
big  baby  ?  /  am  still  mama's  boy."  Surely  this  is  in  the 
nature  of  a  remarkable  cross-correspondence.) 

Mrs.  I. :  (continuing)  "A  lady  comes  with  him.  He 
has  strong  power — wants  to  talk,  and  talk.  He  is  laugh- 
ing !  He  says  he  has  come  to  you  humorously — has  joked 
with  you."  (Quite  true.) 

(Here  Mrs.  Isles  seemed  to  break  off  from  direct 
communication,  and  to  soliloquize  thus :  (to  mother) 
"You  have  lived  for  your  family.  One  taken  from  you. 
This  is  going  to  be  a  break  with  the  past.  You  used  to 
be  orthodox — raised  up  that  way.  You  yourself  have 
mediumistic  powers!") 

V.  M.  M. :     "Have  I?    I  didn't  know  it !" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  you  have,  and  this  young  man  is  so 
strong — you  may  see  him  sometime  in  the  spirit — it  takes 
time — (sotto  voce)  he  is  getting  stronger — he  says  he 
will  come  when  you  least  expect  it. 

"I  hear  the  name  'Arriet,  Arriet !  Do  you  know  who 
that  is?" 

V.  M.  M. :     "Yes,  I  know  who  Harriet  is." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  'Arriet  comes,  and  George  comes— 
all  help  Joe  come  back —  Joe  says,  'I  will  come  back.' 
Soon  as  you  are  ready  he  will  reveal  himself  to  you.  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  if  ultimately  you  are  able  to  see 
him.  But  it  takes  time." 

(Note:  The  reader  will  remember  Joe's  Uncle 
George,  father's  brother.) 


154  OUR   JOE 

To  M.  L.  M.  the  medium  came  with : 

"A  man  comes  to  you — seems  to  have  been  in  spirit- 
life  about  twenty  years — must  be  your  father.  Have  you 
a  father  in  spirit?" 

M.  L.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mrs.  I. :  "He  seems  to  have  had  shock  before  pass- 
ing out — was  unconscious  before  death — says  you  have 
passed  thru  lots  of  trouble — you  have  loving  heart.  Your 
father  has  led  you."  (She  followed  this  with  considerable 
of  her  own  talk,  explaining  her  belief  that  "We  are  led 
and  guided  by  our  loved  ones  in  spirit." 

Mrs.  I.:  (continuing  to  M.  L.  M.)  "You  have  a 
Catholic  guide.  I  see  the  Catholic  symbol." 

Her  message  to  C.  S.  M.  was  in  no  way  evidential,  and 
had  to  do  purely  with  a  character-reading  (which  my  wife 
and  mother  seemed  to  think  applied  to  me  well)  and  with 
promises  of  a  rosy  future,  etc.  It  is  my  personal  con- 
viction that  all  this  emanated  from  the  medium's  own  con- 
sciousness. Hence,  it  is  omitted. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

Report  of  our  strange  table  sitting  of  Thursday 
evening,  Oct.  27, 1921,  at  home,  904  Brush  street,  Oakland, 
California. 

Sitters:  C.  S.  M.,  M.  L.  M.,  V.  M.  M. 

It  was  probably  more  than  a  half-hour  before  there 
was  any  manifestation  whatever.  Then  a  very  weak  and 
apparently  difficult  vibration. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Is  there  present  the  spirit  of  any  of  our 
loved  ones?" 

Silence. 

C.  S.  M. :     "Joe,  won't  you  come  thru  to  us  tonight?" 

Silence. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Aren't  there  any  of  our  loved  ones  pres- 
ent tonight  who  will  give  us  a  message  ?  If  so,  we  will  be 
so  glad!" 

Silence. 


OUR   JOE  755 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  whoever  you  are,  if  you  come  to 
us  in  the  'Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ'  and  with  a  message  of 
goodness  and  righteousness,  we  welcome  you,  whether 
you  are  a  stranger  to  us  or  not.  Will  you  answer  some 
questions?" 

The  table  tilted  three  times,  slowly  and  with  diffi- 
culty, in  assent. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  do  we  know  who  you  are?  Or  have 
we  ever  known  you  ?  Any  of  the  three  of  us  ?" 

"No/" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Well,  do  you  know  Joe?" 

"Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Did  you  know  him  on  the  earth-plane?" 

"No."' 

C.  S.  M. :  "Then  you  have  just  come  to  know  him  in 
the  Spirit-world?" 

"Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Did  Joe  bring  you  here  to  us?" 

"Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Will  you  give  us  your  name?" 

Silence. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  I  forgot !  You  have  never  communi- 
cated before?" 

"No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Then  perhaDs  you  don't  understand  our 
method!  Well,  three  tilts  of  the  table  means  'Yes;'  one 
tilt  means  'No!'  If  you  wish  to  sr>ell  out  anything  I  will 
repeat  the  alphabet,  and  you  can  tilt  the  table  once  at  each 
letter  which  forms  the  words  you  want  to  spell.  Would 
you  like  to  spell  your  name  for  us?" 

"Yes."- 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right !"  (Alphabet  was  repeated  very 
slowly,  and  table  tilted  first  at  E.) 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  you've  got  that  far.  That  is 
the  first  letter  of  your  Christian  name?" 

"Yes." 

Here  there  was  some  discussion  among  us  as  to  who 
it  might  be.  I  thought,  and  expressed  aloud  the  thought, 
"Maybe  it's  Grandma  Painter's  sister,  'Emily.' 


156  OUR   JOE 

My  mother  thought  possibly  it  might  be  'Ed.  Stout/ 
an  old  friend  who  had  passed  out  at  Dalhart,  Texas,  a 
short  time  before.  (See  table  sitting  of  Oct.  22.) 

My  wife  expressed  the  suggestion  that  it  might  be 
"Emma,"  known  to  her. 

The  table  tilted  next  at  "M".  Then  at  "M"  again. 
I  was  surprised.  When  it  had  spelled  "Em"  I  thought  sure 
it  would  be  "Emily,"  according  to  my  first  conviction, 
so  when  I  came  to  the  letter  "I"  I  lingered  a  few  seconds 
longer  than  usual.  But  in  spite  of  all  my  mental  coaxing, 
the  table  would  not  tilt  at  "I",  but  waited  till  I  called 
"M"  again. 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  now  we  have  'Emm' ;  go 
ahead." 

Table  tilted  again  at  "E"  which  was  a  surprise  to 
my  wife,  who  confidently  expected  an  'a'  to  follow  'Emm/ 

Table  tilted  next  at  "T",  which  made  Emmet. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Go  ahead,  maybe  there  is  more  to  the 
name." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Is   'Emmet'   the    name   you   wished   to 
spell?" 
'  "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "And  Emmet  is  your  first  name?" 

"Yes." 

Here  followed  discussion  as  to  who  "Emmet"  could 
be.  None  of  us  could  recall  ever  having  known  anyone 
by  that  name. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Emmet,  we  don't  know  much  more 
than  we  did  when  we  first  commenced.  We  can't  any  of 
us  recall  knowing  any  'Emmet.' 

Emmet :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  will  you  give  your  last  name?  May- 
be we  can  understand  then." 

Silence. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Come  on  now,  won't  you  give  us  your 
last  name?  We  haven't  the  slightest  idea  who  you  are." 

Silence. 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  I'm  going  to  call  over  the  alphabet, 
and  you  can  spell  your  last  name  for  us  if  you  will." 


OUR   JOE  757 

Table  tilted  first  at  "S"  and  then  at  "M." 

V.  M.  M. :  "What  name  could  possibly  begin  with 
an  'S'  followed  by  an  'M'?" 

C.  S.  M.  and  M.  L.  M.  answered:  "Oh,  lots  of  names; 
Smith,  for  instance." 

I  was  certain  the  name  would  be  "Smith." 

Table  tilted  again  at  "0". 

C.  S.  M.:     "S-m-o-  well,  what  can  that  be?" 

Table  tilted  again  at  "0." 

M.  L.  M. :     "S-ra-  double  'o'— is  that  right? 

Table  tilted  three  times  in  assent. 

C.  S.  M. :  "All,  right,  we  understand  'S-m-o-o,'  now 
give  us  the  rest." 

Table  tilted  at  "T." 

V.  M.  M.:     "Smoot!" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Emmet  Smoot;  is  that  your  name?" 

E.  S. :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  is  there  any  message  you  want  to 
give  us?  Anything  you  desire  to  spell  out?" 

Silence. 

We  asked  other  questions,  and  waited  fifteen  or  twen- 
ty minutes  after  that,  but  we  never  succeeded  in  getting  a 
single  other  response. 

From  the  very  first  to  the  last  the  manipulation  of 
the  table  was  very  peculiar,  and  very  weak — utterly  un- 
like anything  we  had  experienced  before. 

Now  the  question  I  wish  to  ask  of  my  more  skeptical 
and  unconvinced  readers  is  this  : 

"If  all  this  table  tilting  phenomena  can  be  attributed 
to  some  r>svchic  powers  within  our  own  natural  selves, 
and  if  the  'law  of  suggestion'  has  anything  to  do  with  it, 
how  account  for  the  coming  of  'Emmet  Smoot,"  in  this 
mysterious  manner,  and  in  spite  of  our  inner  thoughts 
trying  to  make  out  some  other  name?  Certainly,  in  this 
case,  the  surprise,  the  perplexity,  and  the  strangeness  of 
the  results  must  preclude  the  idea  that  the  table  operates 
in  response  to  our  own  thought,  suggestions  and  desires." 


158-  OUR   JOE 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Report  of  table  sitting  at  home,  Oct.  28,  1921,  even- 
ing. 

In  about  five  minutes  Joe  came  strong!  He  lifted  the 
table  up  on  one  leg,  and  did  several  other  "stunts"  appar- 
ently to  demonstrate  his  power. 

Instead  of  spelling  "Joe"  as  usual,  he  spelled,  J.  H. 
Mundell.  This  was  his  signature,  and  when  in  earth-life 
he  used  it  to  sign  all  checks,  letters,  etc. 

We  asked  Joe  if  he  wanted  alphabet,  and  he  answered 
"No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Do  you  want  us  to  ask  you  some  ques- 
tions?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right  Joe,  suppose  you  tell  us  who 
are  with  you.  Is  George  there?" 

"Yes." 

C.  S.  M.:     "Grandma  H?" 

"Yes." 

C.  S.  M.:     "Grandma  M?" 

"Yes." 

"Grandpa  M?" 

"Yes." 

Willie,  Annie,  and  the  'little  fellow?' ' 

"Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question 
about  the  'little  fellow.'  The  medium,  Mrs.  Wallace,  told 
me  the  'little  fellow'  was  called,  'Sam'  for  r>apa.  Is  that 
correct,  or  was  the  medium  just  guessing?" 

Joe :  "George  calls  him  'Sam,'  but  Annie  and  Willie 
call  him  'Little  Brother.'  But  he  isn't  little  now!" 

V.  M.  M. :     "Is  he  as  big  as  you  are,  Joe?" 

Joe:     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  what  color  of  eyes  has  little 
brother?" 

Joe:  "Gray." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Has  he  light  hair  like  Charlie's?" 


OUR   JOE  159 

Joe:  "N-no"  (some  hesitation,  as  tho,  "Well,  not 
exactly." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Is  it  brown,  like  yours?" 
Joe:     "Y-yes"    (again  with  hesitation,  as  tho,  "Well, 
more  like  mine  than  Charlie's) 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  who  else  is  there  now?  Is 
Ed  Stout  there?" 

Joe :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  "He  isn't  there?  Well,  is  Margie's  father 
there?" 

Joe :     "No." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  when  I  was  at  Mrs.  Wallace 
the  other  day,  did  you  make  that  table  come  over  to  me 
like  it  did?" 

Joe:      (moving  the  table  toward  V.  M.  M.)  "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  what  do  you  think  of  Mrs. 
Isles  as  a  medium?  Do  you  like  her?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "Think  she  is  a  good  medium?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  do  you  know  I  am  still  out  of  a 
job?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  do  you  think  Margie  ought  to 
get  a  job?" 

Joe:  (rocking  the  table  as  tho  amused)  "Yes." 

M.  L.  M. :     "You're  joking  now !" 

Joe :     "No." 

C.  S.  M. :  (in  fun)  "Women  ought  to  do  all  the  work, 
eh,  Joe?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "Joe,  Mrs.  Wallace  said  you  were  going  to 
be  a  teacher  in  the  Spirit- world  ?  Is  that  true  ? 

Joe:     "Well,  I  guess  I  could  teach  some  things!" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Say,  Joe,  do  you  remember  'Nevada?' 

Joe:     "Yes!"  (emphatically) 

C.  S.  M. :  "Tell  us  something  about  it,  Joe.  Some- 
thing in  the  nature  of  a  test,  if  you  can." 

Joe :     "Wild  Goose  Chase !" 


160  OUR   JOE 

(Note:  Joe  always  referred  to  his  Nevada  trip  as  a 
"Wild  Goose  Chase,"  because  he  had  gone  there  to  find 
work  in  the  fall  of  1917,  and  had  returned  broke.) 

C.  S.  M. :  "That's  fine,  Joe.  We  remember  you  used 
to  speak  of  it  that  way.  Now  what  else?" 

Joe:     "Boots  and  overalls." 

(By  that  Joe  meant  to  recall  the  fact  that  he  had 
been  compelled  to  pawn  his  suit  and  shoes,  and  had  re- 
turned to  Berkeley  (where  I  was  living  at  that  time)  with 
little  more  than  a  pair  of  boots  he  was  wearing,  and  a 
pair  of  overalls) .  We  thought  the  reference  very  striking, 
and  very  evidential. 

V.  M.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  have  you  met  very  many 
spirits  form  Dalhart?' 

(Dalhart,  a  little  railroad  town  in  the  Panhandle  of 
Texas,  was  the  town  in  which  Joe  was  reared,  and  where 
we  lived  for  many  years.) 

Some  .fifteen  or  twenty  names  were  given,  all  correct. 

Joe :     "Mama,  do  you  remember  Mr.  Sadler?" 

V.  M.  M. :  "Yes,  dear,  I  remember  him.  That  is  a 
very  good  test.  He  has  been  dead  a  long  time." 

Joe :     "Fellow  here  from  Chi !" 

M.  L.  M. :     "From  Chicago,  Joe  ?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

(M.  L.  M.  was  born  and  reared  in  the  city  of  Chi- 
cago.) 

M.  L.  M. :     "Any  one  I  know,  Joe?" 

Joe:    "Yes.    (he  then  spelled)  Bob  Horsely." 

(Bob  was  a  young  man  well  known  by  both  my  wife 
and  myself.) 

M.  L.  M. :     "Anyone  else  I  know  from  Chicago?" 

Joe :     "V-a-t-e-r." 

M.  L.  M. :  "My  father,  Well,  that's  fine,  Joe !  Did 
my  father  tell  you  to  spell  it  that  way?" 

Joe :  "Yes !  (the  table  rocked  as  tho  he  were  laughing 
because  he  had  surprised  us  by  spelling  in  German.) 

Joe :  "  (Again  spelling  in  German,  all  the  time  caus- 
ing the  table  legs  to  srike  the  floor  loudly  and  emphatically, 
as  tho  he  were  thoroughly  enjoying  our  surprise  that  he, 


OUR   JOE  161 

who  never  knew  one  word  of  the  German  language,  should 
spell  out  words  in  that  tongue.) 

"Grossmutter !" 

M.  L.  M.:  "My  Grandmother?  Well,  I'm  so  glad.  I 
don't  remember  much  about  her,tho.  Anyone  else,  Joe?'* 

Joe:    "Ollie!" 

(Ollie,  a  half-brother,  had  been  drowned,  as  before 
stated  in  a  previous  report.) 

M.  L.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  you  must  be  learning  German 
over  there  ?" 

Joe:    (again  rocking  table)  "Yes." 

Joe :     "J-e-n-n-i-e." 

M.  L.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  I  have  heard  my  mother  speak 
of  a  Jennie,  but  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  her.  Is  that  who 
you  mean?" 

Joe :    "C-a-m-e-r-o-n." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  yes,  Joe !  We  understand  now.  You 
want  to  say  something  about  our  Aunt  Jennie — Mama's 
sister?" 

Joe:    "Yes,"   Then  spelled:  "Her  children  all  here!" 

After  this  Joe  spelled  out  that  he  was  getting  tired, 
so  we  said,  "Goodnight,"  all  round,  and  the  sitting  ended. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Table  sitting  at  home,  Saturady  evening,  Oct.  29,, 
1921. 

Present :    S.  A.  M.,  C.  S.  M.,  V.  M.  M.,  M.  L.  M. 

My  father  had  just  that  day  returned  from  Chicago, 
where  he  had  attended  conferences  relating  to  the  rail- 
way crisis.  On  his  return  trip  he  had  stopped  off  at  Dai- 
hart,  Texas,  our  old  home,  for  a  little  visit,  and  to  attend 
to  a  business  matter. 

The  sitting  of  this  date  was  different  from  all  others 
in  many  respects. 

We  had  hardly  touched  the  table  with  our  hands 
when  it  began  to  move  about  with  considerable  strength. 


162  OUR   JOE 

Joe  came  with  apparent  power,  for  about  the  first 
thing  he  did  was  to  do  a  few  "stunts/'  That  is,  he  lifted 
up  the  table  until  it  stood  on  one  leg;  he  caused  it  to 
spin  completely  around,  so  that  we  had  difficulty  in  keep- 
ing our  hands  on  its  surface ! 

The  table  indicated  the  alphabet  was  wanted,  and 
when  it  was  called  over  spelled : 

"Hello !" 

S.  A.  M. :  "Oh,  this  is  Joe,  and  you  want  to  tell  papa 
hello !  Well,  bless  your  heart." 

Joe:     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Are  you  glad  to  see  papa  back?" 

Joe:  "Yes."  (Then  he  spelled  out)  "How's  old  Dai- 
hart?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "Oh,  Dalhart  is  all  right.  I  saw  lots  of 
your  friends  there,  and  they  asked  me  all  about  you !" 

Joe:     "Dad,  glad  to  get  back?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "You  bet  I  am,  son !  Say  son,  were  you 
with  papa  Thursday  night,  when  I  was  on  the  train  be- 
tween Tucson  and  Los  Angeles?" 

Joe:  (answered  three  tilts)  "Yes."  (then  spelled) 
"I  touched  uapa's  face !" 

S.  A.  M. :     "That's  the  way  I  felt,  son !" 

(My  father  relates  that  on  this  particular  night,  after 
he  had  gone  to  bed,  he  was  suddenly  awakened,  with  the 
feeling  that  someone  had  touched  his  cheek.  For  some 
reason,  he  seemed  to  sense  Joe's  presence,  and  felt  that 
his  son  was  in  some  way  with  him.  Hence,  the  question.) 

S.  A.  M. :  "Was  it  your  touch  that  woke  me  up, 
son?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Are  you  often  with  papa  on  the  trains?" 

Joe :  "Yes."  (Spelling)  "I  sometimes  come  to  mama 
in  her  dreams." 

V.  M.  M. :     "Thank  God  for  that !" 

Joe :  "Sometime  I  think  mama  will  see  me.  It  isn't 
because  I  don't  try.  I  try  to  kiss  mama  many  times.  We 
find  it  hard  to  get  thru  sometimes." 

(Then  to  papa) 


OUR   JOE  163 

"How  do  you  like  Charlie's  book?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "I  was  just  reading  some  of  it  tonight, 
son!  Do  you  want  us  to  publish  all  this?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

(After  spelling  out  a  few  other  things  of  intimate 
family  affairs,  he  indicated  he  was  tired,  and  the  sitting 
ended.) 


CHAPTER  XXX 

Report  of  message  received  by  Mrs.  V.  M.  Mundell,  from 
Mrs.  R.  Hyams,  Spiritual  Missionary  and  Medium,  Sun- 
day evening,  Oct.  30,  1921,  at  Trinity  Spiritual  Church, 
Oakland,  California. 

On  Sunday  evening,  Oct.  30,  there  was  some  little 
discussion  in  the  family  as  to  whether  or  not  we  should 
go  out  to  some  Spiritual  Service,  and  if  so,  where  ? 

We  decided  to  try  for  a  table-sitting. 

After  an  interval  of  perhaps  fifteen  minutes,  my 
father's  mother  came,  and  when  the  alphabet  was  called, 
she  informed  us  that  she  wanted  us  to  "Go  to  church." 

Mr.  F.  K.  Brown,  minister  of  the  Trinity  Spiritual 
Church,  who.  had  just  returned  from  the  Detroit  Conven- 
tion of  the  National  Suiritualist  Alliance,  was  the  first 
one  to  give  messages.  He  gave  my  father  a  message,  but 
as  he  was  not  able  to  recognize  it,  I  will  omit  it. 

Following  Mr.  Brown,  Mrs.  R.  Hyams  gave  a  few 
messages,  and  to  my  mother  she  came  saying : 

"I  want  to  come  to  the  little  lady  there — the  one  in 
the  black  hat—" 

V.  M.  M. :     "You  mean  me?" 

Mrs.  H. :  "Yes,  I  wrant  to  come  to  you.  A  young  man 
wants  to  get  thru  to  you.  He  is  very  anxious  to  get  to 
you.  He  says,  'Mother,  haven't  you  a  son  in  spirit?'  " 

V.  M.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mrs.  H. :  "Well,  your  son  comes  to  you,  and  he  gives 
me  the  name  of  'Joseph.'  Is  that  right?" 

V.  M.  M. :      (in  tears)  "Yes,  that  is  right !" 


164-  OUR   JOE 

Mrs.  H. :  "He  shows  me  that  he  passed  out  quite 
suddenly — in  the  mountains — beautiful  mountains!  He 
says,  'Mother,  do  not  grieve  for  me.  You  are  not  only 
hurting  yourself,  but  you  are  keeping  me  back  from  the 
progress  I  could  otherwise  make.'  He  thinks  he  may 
sometime  be  able  to  materialize  in  his  own  home — he  is  so 
strong !  He  will  also  be  able  to  control  his  own  brother's 
hand,  and  you  will  receive  messages  from  him. 

"Joe  says,  Tell  father  I  watch  over  him  all  the  time. 
No  accident  will  overtake  him,  for  I  will  protect  him.' ' 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

Report  of  messages  given  to  S.  A.  M.  and  C.  S.  M., 
by  Mrs.  R.  Hyam,  at  her  residence,  1018  Lakeshore  Ave., 
Oakland,  Calif.,  Tuesday,  Nov.  1,  1921. 

There  were  about  twenty  present  at  the  "message 
meeting"  held  by  Mrs.  R.  Hyams,  a  veteran  Spiritualist 
worker  and  Medium,  Tuesday  evening,  Nov.  1,  1921  at  her 
beautiful  home,  1018  Lakeshore  Ave.,  Oakland.  My 
father  and  I  were  among  the  number. 

To  my  father  the  Medium  came  with.  (As  she  picked 
up  his  signet  ring,  a  gift  from  Joe.) 

"Seven  spirits  come  to  you,  Sir — ******among  them 
comes  your  son.  He  tells  me  no  one  was  in  any  way  to 
blame  for  his  passing — that  it  was  purely  an  accident.  'I 
woke  up  in  a  loved  one's  arms.  Tell  mother  I  am  happy 
and  contented.  I  have  accomplished  a  great  deal.  Last 
Sunday  night  I  came  to  mother  and  gave  my  name  as 
"Joseph."  That  was  for  proof.  I  will  now  give  it  as  you 
better  knew  it :  "Joe." 

To  C.  S.  M.  she  said':  "Young  man  comes  to  you — 
medium  height,  well-built — says,  "Go  right  ahead — do 
world  of  good.  It  seems  like  he  refers  to  something  treat- 
ing of  life  beyond  the  grave.  (Evidently  the  book  I  am 
writing) .  It  will  be  scattered  abroad — to  those  in  dark- 
ness. 

"Willie  and  Harriet  also  come  to  you.    Understand  ?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes." 


OUR   JOE  165 

Here  I  asked  if  I  might  ask  a  test  question.  Mrs. 
Hyams  said  she  would  "try"  to  get  an  answer. 

I  said :  "Ask  Joe  if  he  can  tell  us  what  it  is  I  now 
have  that  was  once  his  ?" 

Immediately,  and  without  hesitation,  the  medium 
replied : 

"Yes,  you  have  his  watch.  He  gave  it  to  you  be- 
cause he  knew  you  would  take  good  care  of  it.  I  see  a 
pillow.  Do  you  put  the  watch  under  your  pillow  at 
night?" 

We  thought  this  test  a  very  good  one.  It  was  correct, 
both  as  to  the  watch,  and  as  to  my  keeping  it  under  my 
pillow  at  night. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

Report  of  Table  Sitting  at  Home,  Sunday,  Nov.  6, 
1921,  6  P.  M.  Present:  R.  S.  Roberts,  S.  A.  Mundell, 
Charles  S.  Mundell,  Margaret  L.  Mundell,  Verna  May 
Mundell,  and  J.  S.  Painter. 

It  was  our  pleasure  to  receive  a  visit  from  a  friend 
of  my  father's,  Mr.  R.  S.  Roberts,  Grand  Lodge  Deputy  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Carmen  of  America,  on  Sun- 
day morning,  November  6. 

Mr.  Roberts  accompanied  us  to  church  in  the  morn- 
ing, where  I  filled  the  pulpit  of  the  Park  Congregational 
Church.  After  the  service  we  had  luncheon  down  town, 
and  later  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Roberts  returned  to  our 
home  for  supper.  While  we  were  at  the  supper  table, 
someone  broached  the  subject  of  religion.  Mr.  Roberts 
informed  us  that  although  he  was  nominally  a  Baptist, 
he  was  in  no  way  prejudiced  against  any  denomination 
or  sect,  and  assured  us  that  he  attended  the  services  of  all 
churches;  also  that  he  believed  there  was  good  in  all  of 
them. 

I  then  asked  the  question :  "Mr.  Roberts,  have  you 
ever  attended  a  Spiritualist  meeting?" 


166  OUR   JOE 

"No,"  he  said,  "I  have  never  quite  done  that." 

Further  discussion  followed,  in  which  we  told  Mr. 
Roberts  something  of  our  psychic  experiences  and  investi- 
gations. He  appeared  to  be  very  much  interested,  and 
assured  us  that  he  would  "like  to  see  some  of  it  for  him- 
self ;  that  he  had  never  investigated  it ;  had  never  attended 
a  seance ;  and  had  never  visited  a  medium." 

My  father  suggested  that  we  try  for  a  sitting  (it  was 
then  about  ten  minutes  to  six)  before  going  to  a  Spirit- 
ualist meeting.  It  was  agreed. 

We  carried  the  little  table  into  another  room,  and 
the  five  of  us  placed  our  hands  thereon  (R.  S.  R.,  S.  A.  M., 
C.  S.  M.,  V.  M.  M.,  and  M.  L.  M.).  My  grandfather 
(J.  S.  P.)  came  down-stairs  to  watch  the  sitting. 

The  reader  may  perhaps  imagine  the  skepticism  of 
Mr.  Roberts.  Although  he  had  been  very  much  impressed 
with  what  we  had  told  him  of  our  experiences,  we  could 
not  expect  that  our  investigations  could  suffice  for  him. 
Obviously  not.  One  must  see  and  investigate  for  oneself 
before  one  can  be  really  satisfied. 

He  knew  one  thing,  however.  He  knew  my  father 
was  not  lying.  He  knew,  as  thousands  of  other  members 
of  the  B.  R.  C.  of  A.  know,  that  my  father  is  a  man  who 
does  not  lie ! 

After  an  interval  of  perhaps  fifteen  minutes,  Joe 
came,  and  he  came  strong!  Mr.  Roberts  was  very  much 
surprised. 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  we  sure  are  glad  to  have  you 
come  tonight.  Do  you  know  there  is  a  stranger  here? 
That  is.  a  stranger  to  these  sittings ;  but  you  used  to  know 
him.  Can  you  tell  us  who  it  is?" 

The  table  indicated  that  the  alphabet  was  wanted. 
I  called  the  letters,  and  the  table  tilted  out :  R.  S.  Roberts! 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  that's  fine;  Glad  you  know 
who  it  is!" 

Joe  ( spelling)  :     "How's  old  L.  A.?" 

(Mr.  Roberts'  home  was  in  Los  Angeles.) 

S.  A.  M.  to  R.  S.  R. :  "He  is  asking  you  that  question, 
R.  S.  Tell  him  how  it  is." 


OUR   JOE  167 

R.  S.  R. :     "Oh,  I  guess  L.  A.  is  all  right,  Joe." 
S.  A.  M. :     "Joe,  Mr.  Roberts  don't  know  much  about 
this  sort  of  thing.    Can  you  give  him  a  test  or  two?" 

"Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :  "All  right,  R.  S.,  ask  him  any  question 
you  want  to." 

R.  S.  R. :  "Well,  Joe,  I  have  a  mother,  and  father, 
and  wife,  and  two  children  dead.  Can  you  spell  out  my 
mother's  name?" 

Joe :     "They  are  all  here." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  you  know  them,  do  you  ?  Well,  that's 
good!  But  can't  you  spell  out  Mr.  Roberts'  mother's 
first  name?" 

Joe :     "M-a-r-y." 

R.  S.  R.  (in  surprise)  :  "No,  Joe.  That's  my  wife's 
name.  That's  all  right,  I'm  glad  you  spelled  her  name, 
but  you  got  it  mixed." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Try  again,  Joe !  Maybe  you'll  get  it  right 
this  time." 

Joe:    "E-l-l-e-n." 

R.  S.  R. :  "That's  correct,  Joe.  Fine !  Now,  can 
you  give  me  my  father's  name?" 

Several  attempts  were  made,  but  for  some  unknown 
reason  he  was  not  able  to  spell  out  the  father's  name. 

Joe:  "He  is  trying  to  tell  me,  but  I  can't  under- 
stand." 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  that's  all  right,  son.  We  won't 
keep  you  on  that.  Have  you  any  message  you  want  to 
spell  out  to  us?" 

Joe:  "Ask  R.  S.  if  he  knows  a  man  who  lived  in 
Los  (Angeles)  who  is  here  now?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "What's  his  name,  Joe?" 

Joe:    "B-r-o-o-k-s!" 

R.  S.  R.  (surprised)  :  "Yes!  I  know  him!  He  was 
president  of  Local  1368  of  our  order  in  Los  Angeles !  He 

run  over  and  killed!" 

Joe:     "Yes"  (table  tilted  three  times). 

S.  A.  M. :     "Is  Mr.  Brooks  here  now?" 


168  OUR   JOE 

Joe:  "No."  (Alphabet  called  for.)  Do  you  remem- 
ber Mr.  Brown?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  son,  I  remember  so  many  Browns. 
Where  did  he  live?" 

Joe :    "D-a-l-h-a-r-t." 

S.  A.  M. :  "Oh,  he  lived  at  Dalhart !  Well,  I  remem- 
ber two  Mr.  Browns  who  used  to  live  at  Dalhart,  that  are 
now  dead.  Which  one  do  you  mean  ?" 

Joe :    "He  jumped  in  the  river !" 

(We  were  then  able  to  recall  the  old  man  who  was 
meant.) 

Joe:  "I  talked  to  medium  F.  K.  Brown  this  after- 
noon." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Is  that  so?  Well,  what  did  you  tell  Mr. 
Brown?" 

Joe :    "I  told  him  to  give  you  a  message  tonight !" 

S.  A.  M. :  "Then  you  want  us  to  quit  this  and  go 
to  Mr.  Brown's  meeting?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

V.  M.  M. :  "And  will  you  come  to  us  tonight,  Joe, 
through  Mr.  Brown?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

After  this  we  told  Joe  we  would  expect  him  to  come 
at  the  meeting,  and  the  sitting  ended. 

Mr.  Roberts  remarked:  "Well,  this  beats  anything 
I  ever  saw!  I  will  go  with  you  to  the  meeting.  I  am 
interested  to  see  what  comes  of  it." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

Report  of  Messages  received  from  Rev.  F.  K.  Brown, 
in  General  Meeting,  Sunday  evening,  November  6,  1921, 
Trinity  Spiritualist  Church,  Blake  Bldg.,  Twelfth  Street, 
Oakland,  California. 

(See  report  of  table  sitting  in  previous  chapter.) 
Mr.  F.  K.  Brown  was  minister  of  Trinity  Spiritualist 
Church.     On  this  particular  Sunday  evening  he  seemed 
to  be  unusually  good.     A  number  of  excellent  messages 


OUR   JOE 


169 


were  given  to  persons  unknown  to  us.  (That  is,  from 
the  recognition  accorded  the  messages  I  deemed  them 
excellent.  Of  course,  I  am  not  able  to  verify  or  cor- 
roborate any  except  that  which  was  given  to  my  mother.) 

Mr.  Brown:  "I  hear  the  name  of  Joe!  Anyone 
recognize  the  name?" 

We  waited  a  few  seconds  to  see  whether  anyone  else 
claimed  the  name  before  my  mother  lifted  her  hand. 

Mr.  Brown  (to  V.  M.  M.)  :  "Well,  this  Joe  is  a  young 
man ;  he  must  have  had  something  to  do  with  some  hose — 
he  shows  me  some  hose  (rubber?) .  Didn't  he  have  some- 
thing to  do  with  some  hose?" 

V.  M.  M. :     "Yes." 


Joe  and  the  hose  Mentioned  by  F.  K.  Brown. 


no  OUR  JOE 

Mr.  Brown :  "He  says,  'My  coming  was  a  shock — and 
a  surprise!  He  shows  me  the  hose  again,  and  he  says  I 
can  use  the  hose  as  well  now  as  ever ;  I  can  squirt  water 
(?)  with  it  as  good  as  ever!" 

(See  Snapshot  on  page  169.) 

Mr.  Brown :  "Didn't  he  used  to  get  up  early  in  the 
morning?" 

V.  M.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mr.  Brown  (laughing)  :  "Yes,  he  yawns — and  says, 
'I  used  to  have  to  get  up  early  in  the  morning.  I  am  well 
and  contented.  I  want  to  help  my  brother.  My  brother 
left  everything  and  came  home — he  was  impatient  for  the 
train — (Mr.  Brown,  sotto  voice:  It  seems  as  though 
there  must  have  been  some  delay}. 

(There  was  a  considerable  delay  when  we  left  Okla- 
homa City.  I  received  a  part  of  my  salary  from  the  Con- 
gregational Home  Missionary  Society,  and  we  had  to  wait 
several  days  for  my  August  check  to  come  from  New  York. 
We  were  all  ready  to  leave  Friday  afternoon  (had  our 
trunk,  etc.,  at  the  station),  feeling  sure  my  check  would 
come  on  the  morning  mail.  It  did  not — so  we  had  to 
remain  over  another  day.  Naturally,  all  this  was  the 
occasion  of  no  little  impatience.  Was  this  merely  a  for- 
tunate guess  from  Mr.  Brown,  or  did  he  get  this  informa- 
tion from  Joe — as  he  claimed  he  did?) 

Mr.  Brown :  "I  can't  seem  to  get  just  the  manner  in 
which  this  young  man  passed  out — but  he  shows  me  it  was 
quick — like  that  (Mr.  B.  snapped  his  fingers)  !  !  He  says, 
'I  come  to  you  in  twilight  and  early  morning.'  This  young 
man  has  nice  lips — very  good  teeth.  He  says,  'I  keut  won- 
dering what  will  they  all  think?'  (Probably  referring  to 
the  time  which  passed  between  the  hour  of  his  death  and 
the  finding  of  the  body.) 

He  used  to  lounge  back  in  chair,  cock  his  feet  up,  and 
enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the  hour. 

(Mr.  B.  addressing  my  mother)  "When  the  body  was 
in  the  casket  you  kept  saying :  "Can  it  really  be?  Can  it 
be  possible?' ' 

(I  wish  particularly  to  draw  the  reader's  attention 


OUR   JOE  171 

to  Mr.  Brown's  repeated  reference  to  the  "hose;"  the 
question:  "Didn't  he  have  something  to  do  with  hose?" 
and  the  statement  attributed  to  Joe :  "I  can  use  hose  as 
well  now  as  ever.") 

My  brother  did  work  a  great  deal  with  rubber  hose  in 
connection  with  his  job  as  airman  at  the  Southern  Pacific 
See  page  169. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

Report  of  Afternoon  Trance  Seance,  Monday,  Novem- 
ber 7,  1921,  2:30  P.  M.,  at  Home  of  Mrs.  M.  J.  Isles,  1288 
California  Street,  San  Francisco,  California.  Charles  S. 
Mundell  in  attendance. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  November  7,  I  dropped 
quite  casually  into  the  seance  held  by  Mrs.  M.  J.  Isles,  at 
her  home,  1288  California  St.,  in  San  Francisco.  I  had 
come  over  to  the  city  on  another  matter,  but  decided  to 
attend  the  meeting,  as  a  part  of  the  investigation  I  was 
making  of  psychic  phenomena. 

There  were  perhaps  twenty  others  present. 

The  seance  was  opened  with  song  and  prayer,  fol- 
lowed by  a  short  address  from  the  medium. 

Mrs.  Isles  has  a  very  pleasing  and  attractive  per- 
sonality. 

She  impresses  one  favorably  from  the  first. 

Evidently  a  woman  of  refinement,  Mrs.  Isles  uses 
good  English,  and  impresses  one  with  the  conviction  of 
her  absolute  genuineness  and  sincerity. 

She  appears  to  be  a  comparatively  young  woman; 
slender,  graceful,  obviously  delicate,  and  seemingly  very 
sensitive. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  it  was  my  good  pleasure 
to  be  afforded  an  interview.  In  quiet,  personal,  conversa- 
tion, Mrs.  Isles  is  modest,  diffident — reluctant  to  talk 
about  herself — but  it  was  a  pleasure  to  discuss  with  her 
some  of  the  scientific  and  philosophic  aspects  of  the  phe- 
nomena of  Spirit  Control. 


172  OUR   JOE 

Physically,  Mrs.  Isles  is  quite  good  looking — tall,  deep 
brown  eyes,  dark  hair.  Altogether,  her  personality  is 
very  prepossessing. 

At  half-past  two  precisely,  the  seance  began. 

While  those  present  sang  "Nearer  My  God  to  Thee," 
Mrs.  Isles  stood  apart  from  the  sitters,  with  her  eyes 
•closed,  as  the  little  child-guide,  Jewell,  took  control. 

When  Jewell  had  taken  control  the  messages  began, 
all  the  while  Mrs.  Isles  speaking  with  a  lisp  and  accent 
-of  a  child  of  eight  or  ten. 

•Inasmuch  as  this  report  is  to  deal  specifically  with 
the  evidential  features  of  the  messages  which  were  given 
to  me  (for  obviously  I  am  not  in  position  to  verify  any 
messages  given  to  other  parties,  except  as  I  am  content  to 
take  their  word  for  the  accuracy  or  inaccuracy  of  the 
statements  made),  I  shall  not  burden  the  reader  with  a 
detailed  report  of  all  the  messages  which  Jewell  gave  to 
the  sitters  present.  However,  there  was  a  part  of  one 
message  which  I  venture  to  pass  on  to  my  readers,  as 
being,  at  least,  interesting. 

Mrs.  Isles  (Jewell  speaking)  :  "A  zentleman  wisses 
(wishes)  to  come  to  zis  lady  here  (approaching  one  of 
the  sitters).  He  ses  he  is  Henry — but  he  wath  (was) 
called  Harry." 

The  lady  recognized  the  spirit. 

Jewell :  "Henry  ses  he  has  got  a  new  gown — 'cause 
he  hath  moved — to — to — a  new  plane !" 

Lady:  "Well,  that's  fine.  I'm  glad  to  hear  it, 
Jewell." 

Jewell :  "Yeth.  He  says  he  has  a  beeg-a-labor-a-to-ry 
— la-bo r-a-to-ry — you  understand?"  (Jewell  stumbling 
over  pronunciation  of  "Laboratory.") 

Lady:  "Yes,  Jewell,  I  understand.  What  does  he 
say  about  it?" 

Jewell:  "Well,  he  says,  he's  a  dok-tor  (doctor)  nowi 
He  ses,  They  call  me  Doctor  Henry!'  An'  he's  on  the 
Fifth  Plane!" 

Lady:  "Thanks,  Jewell,  that's  fine!  I'm  glad  he  is 
doing  so  well." 


OUR   JOE  173 

After  giving  several  other  messages,  the  medium 
stepped  back  with  the  exclamation :  "Some  one  is  calling 
for  music — music !  Want's  us  to  sing !  Please  sing  some- 
thing— play  the  piano !" 

The  sitters  took  up  a  verse  of  "Nearer  My  God  to 
Thee." 

Mrs.  Isles  stood  quietly  in  the  center  of  the  circle  for 
several  seconds ;  then  she  commenced  trembling  from  head 
to  feet — trembling  as  though  she  was  being  shaken  by- 
some  powerful  influence,  or  was  in  the  grip  of  a  severe 
chill !  Her  knees  seemed  to  give  way,  and  she  swayed  as 
though  she  were  going  to  fall.  Several  of  the  sitters  be- 
came alarmed,  but  others  said,  "Keep  away !  Don't  touch 
her.  Jewell  is  giving  way  to  the  direct  control  of  some 
other  spirit!" 

Mrs.  Isles  did  not  fall — instead,  she  staggered  in  my 
direction  (her  eyes  closed),  and  then,  throwing  out  her 
arms  to  me,  she  cried — a  cry  of  mingled  joy  and  pain: 
"Charlie!  Charlie!  I'm  Joe!  I'm  Joe!" 

Mrs.  Isles  swayed  toward  me,  and  would  have  fallen- 
had  I  not  risen  from  my  seat  and  caught  her ! 

She  threw  both  arms  around  me,  in  full  abandon- 
ment, exclaiming: 

"Charlie,  it's  Joe!  I  want  you  to  give  mama  my 
love !  My  brother !  My  dear  brother !  Charlie !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe !  I  know !  I  thought  you  would 
come  to  me  today !  That's  why  I  came  here !" 

Mrs.  Isles  (holding my  hands)  :  "Oh !  he's  so  strong! 
He's  taking  all  my  strength!  He  is  crushing  me!  !  I 
Oh!  !" 

The  medium  swayed,  and  fell  back  in  a  dead  faint — 
her  every  nerve  and  muscle  quivering,  and  her  body  shak- 
ing as  though  with  the  ague.  I  caught  her  as  she  fell,, 
exclaiming : 

"Yes,  Joe !  I  know !  You're  so  glad  to  come !  But 
you  are  hurting  the  medium!  You  must  let  her  go  now. 
I  will  tell  mother  you  came  to  me,  and  that  you  send  her 
your  love." 


114-  OUR   JOE 

It  was  several  seconds  before  Mrs.  Isles  seemed  to 
be  recovering — of  one  thing  I  am  certain — she  was  utterly 
unconscious  for  a  time — then  she  muttered — in  guttural 
tones — "play  some  more  music!" 

Music  and  singing  were  resumed,  and  gradually  Mrs. 
Isles  regained  her  feet;  then,  as  I  sat  back  in  my  chair 
(still  holding  her  hands),  she  continued,  in  more  quiet 
tones : 

"Joe  wants  me  to  tell  you  that  he  is  working  on 
some  new  something — something  like  wireless  telegraphy 
—to  make  it  easier  for  him  to  communicate  with  you. 
Wasn't  Joe  a  mechanic?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  that  is  right.    He  was." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  he  says  he  is  trying  to  invent  some 
new  device  for  communication." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Well,  I  hope  he  succeeds !" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Joe  also  says  he  wants  you  to  play  music 
in  the  home.  It  will  help  him  to  come  through  to  you." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Joe.  I'll  tell  mama  what  you 
say." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Joe  also  says  he  brings  Grandma — 
'Arriet'  (impatiently).  Recognize  her?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  I  do.  I'm  glad  to  have  you 
come,  Grandma." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Joe  says,  Tell  mama  it  is  for  her  sake  we 
come!" 

C.  S.  M. :     "All  right,  Joe,  I  will  tell  her." 

With  this  Mrs.  Isles  seemed  to  give  way  to  another 
control.  She  staggered  back,  shook  a  little,  and  then  ap- 
proaching an  elderly  gentleman  present,  she  knelt  down 
before  him,  saying :  "I'm  Effie!  I'm  Effie !  Please  stroke 
my  hair  like  you  used  to !" 

The  elderly,  gray-haired  gentleman  referred  to,  over- 
come with  emotion,  complied  with  her  request,  exclaim- 
ing: "My  darling  Effie.  God  bless  you." 

I  do  not  know  what  the  relation  was  between  the 
elderly  gentleman  and  "Effie,"  but  I  imagined  she  must  be 
his  daughter.  At  any  rate,  he  seemed  to  be  extremely 
happy  that  "Effie"  should  come  to  him. 


OUR   JOE 


175 


Several  other  messages  were  given,  and  then  (Mrs. 
Isles  standing  apart)  : 

"I  hear  someone  calling  the  name  'Willie — Willie!' 
(Then  coming  in  my  direction:  "He  comes  to  some  one 
right  in  here!  (To  a  lady  sitting  beside  me:  Does  Willie 
come  to  you?" 

The  Lady :     "No,  I  don't  think  so !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "I  .think  he  comes  to  me.  Isn't  he  my 
brother  Willie?" 


"Brother  Willie." 

Mrs.  I. :     "Yes,  he  comes  to  you.     He  says,  'I  have 
also  brought  sister.'     Have  you  got  a  sis-ter — in  spirit 

life?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes !     God  bless  my  little  sister !" 

Mrs.  I. :     "Willie  says,   'Joe  is  exhausted  after  his 

strong  effort,  so  I  will  talk!     Joe  wants  me  to  tell  you 


176  OUR   JOE 

to  give  mama  his  love." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Sure,  Willie,  I  will." 

Willie :  "Give  my  love  to  mama,  too !  7  love  mama, 
too!" 

C.  S.  M.:  "Of  course  you  do,  Willie!  I'll  tell  her 
what  you  say." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Willie  says,  'We  have  taught  Joe  all  we 
know,  and  now  he  knows  more  than  we  do!  He  is  like  a 
father  to  the  rest  of  us." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  that's  fine !  Tell  Joe  I  am  glad  he's 
getting  along  so  well.  By  the  way,  Willie,  do  you  know 
I  am  writing  a  book  about  Joe?" 

Wilile:  "Yes,  I  know  it.  Put  Willie  in  your  book, 
too!" 

C.  S.  M.:  "All  right,  I  will.  I  have  already!  Say, 
Willie,  was  Joe  at  church  yesterday,  and  did  he  hear  me 
preach  ?  He  told  us  through  the  table  he  would  be  there  ?" 

Willie :    "Yes,  he  was  there.    And  so  was  Grandma." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Well,  I  appreciate  that." 

(Note:  The  occasion  referred  to  was  that  of  the 
previous  morning  (Sunday,  Nov.  6,  11  a.  m.)  when  I 
filled  the  pulpit  of  the  South  Berkeley  Community  Church 
(Park  Congregational  Church),  in  the  absence  of  the 
minister,  my  friend,  Rev.  Norman  W.  Pendleton.) 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Willie,  I'd  like  to  ask  a  test  ques- 
tion. Ask  Joe  if  he  can  tell  me  this  afternoon,  what  I 
now  have,  that  was  once  his?" 

Willie  (Mrs.  I.  hesitating  a  few  seconds  only)  : 
"Yes !  It  is  something  in  your  pocket — seems  like  some- 
thing to  tell  time  of  day.  I  told  mama  to  give  it  to  you !" 

(Note:  This  was  the  second  time  I  had  put  this 
test  question,  and  to  different  mediums:  the  first  time  to 
Mrs.  Rose  Hyams,  of  Oakland.  Does  it  not  seem  rather 
evidential  that  correct  answers  were  given  both  times? 
The  reader  will  recall  the  table-sitting  where  Joe  in- 
structed my  mother  to  give  me  his  watch.  The  fact  that 
this  detail  was  mentioned  through  Mrs.  Isles  seems  proof 
that  our  table-sittings  were  genuine.) 


OUR    JOE  777 

Willie:  "Joe  says,  Tve  brought  the  whole  family 
liere  today!  Say!  How's  mama  feeling  today?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Much  better,  Willie,  I  think.  These  mes- 
sages will  help  her,  I  know." 

Willie :  "Oh,  yes !  Joe  wants  you  to  tell  mama  that 
he  came  to  her — night-before-last — in  her  dreams!  She 
dreamed  about  Joe  all  night — He  came  strong — It  woke 
her  up." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  Willie,  mama  told  us  about  it." 

(Note:  All  this  was  quite  true,  as  my  mother  will 
testify.  All  night  that  night  she  dreamed  of  Joe,  and  was 
finally  awakened  by  the  feeling  that  someone  was  blowing 
breath  upon  her  face.  She  seemed  to  feel  Joe's  presence 
in  a  peculiar  way ;  she  seemed  conscious  of  his  presence — 
but  when  she  opened  her  eyes  and  peered  into  the  dark, 
she  could  see  nothing.  How  could  Mrs.  Isles  have  known 
about  this  dream?) 

Willie :  "Joe  says  tell  mama  he  will  come  again — so 
will  /;  Joe  thinks  a  lot  of  Charlie !  Mama  is  getting  along 
much  better  in  a  spiritual  way,  isn't  she?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  Willie,  I'm  sure  she  is  much  better." 

Willie :  "Well,  Charlie,  we  don't  want  you  to  worry 
about  your  affairs.  Go  ahead  writing  the  book.  That's 
your  work  now.  We  feel  that  it  will  be  very  successful, 
and  will  do  lots  of  good." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Thank  you,  Willie." 

(Note  in  conclusion:  If  Mrs.  Isles  did  not  really  give 
these  messages  from  the  "other  side ;"  if  she  was  merely 
"acting;"  if  her  trembling,  quivering,  and  shaking,  were 
all  "put  on,"  it  was  not  only  extremely  well  done — with 
every  appearance  of  genuineness — but  it  was  the  most 
blasphemous  mockery  I  ever  saw !  I  cannot  believe  that 
Mrs.  Isles — whose  personality  seems  to  radiate  sincerity 
and  truth — could  stoop  to  such  a  damnable,  monstrous, 
hypocritical  pretense!  If  the  phenomena  were  not  gen- 
uine, then  God  have  mercy!  It  was  a  crime.) 


178  OUR   JOE 

CHAPTER  XXXV 
A  VERY  EVIDENTIAL  SITTING 

Report  of  Private  Sitting  of  S.  A.  Mundell  ivith  Mrs. 
M.  J.  Isles,  at  her  home,  1288  California  St.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Tuesday,  Nov.  8,  1921.  C.  S.  M.  present  to  take 
notes. 

My  father  and  I  called  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Isles  at 
3:15  P.M. 

We  had  previously  telephoned  from  the  office  asking- 
for  an  appointment,  and  were  told  we  could  come  right 
over. 

We  were  received  by  the  medium's  little  girl,  and 
ushered  into  the  seance  room.  In  about  fifteen  minutes 
Mrs.  Isles  came  in. 

The  usual  formalities  of  introduction,  comments  on 
the  weather,  etc.,  disposed  of,  we  conversed  for  a  while, 
during  which  conversation  Mrs.  Isles  (in  response  to  a 
question  from  my  father  as  to  how  she  had  been  led  to 
become  a  medium)  told  us  the  story  of  her  psychic  unfold- 
ment,  from  the  time  she  was  a  mere  child  to  the  time  of 
her  definite  surrender  to  the  unseen  forces. 

Her  story  was  intensely  interesting,  and  in  some 
respects  quite  pathetic. 

The  full  realization  or  revelation  of  her  psychic  life 
came  to  her  during  a  prolonged  illness,  following  the 
birth  of  her  second  child,  who  was  born  blind.  This  sad 
affliction  to  her  child  proved  to  be  her  Gethsemane;  the 
suffering  which  purified  and  refined  her  spiritual  per- 
ceptions. 

Following  her  convalescence  she  was  induced  to  study 
Christian  Science,  with  only  partial  satisfaction. 

Then  she  met  a  lady  who  was  a  Spiritualist,  and 
through  her  was  led  to  attend  Spiritualist  meetings. 

Her  first  experiences  of  this  kind  were  disappointing. 

She  related  the  fact  that  her  first  "message"  re- 
ceived from  the  platform  medium  was  to  the  effect  that 
there  was  some  man  across  the  sea  with  whom  she  would 


OUR   JOE  179 

shortly  fall  in  love  and  marry.  Of  course,  this  was  all 
wrong ;  she  was  already  a  wife  and  a  mother. 

However,  she  refused  to  become  discouraged  in  her 
search  for  truth. 

Along  about  this  time  she  began  to  receive  manifes- 
tations in  her  own  home:  she  would  become  entranced, 
and  while  in  these  trances  give  loving  and  comforting- 
Spirit-messages  to  her  husband,  and  to  other  members  of 
her  family. 

She  attended  an  experiment  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Psychic  Research  Society,  where  another  medium  was 
the  subject  of  the  experiments.  No  sooner  had  she  come 
into  the  room  when  she  fell  into  a  trance,  and  to  the  sur- 
prise and  delight  of  the  circle  of  psychic  researchers  gave 
demonstrations,  messages,  and  other  psychic  phenomena. 

Following  this  she  was  for  some  time  employed  by 
the  Psychic  Research  Society  as  a  subject  of  study  and 
investigation.  The  scientists  who  experimented  with  her 
became  convinced  of  her  psychic  powers,  and  gave  her  a 
cordial  endorsement. 

The  sitting  proper  began  at  4 :25. 

Mrs.  Isles  and  my  father  sat  facing  each  other,  while 
I  sat  apart  in  a  big  arm-chair  with  my  note  book,  pre- 
pared to  take  down  the  whole  of  the  reading. 

Mrs.  Isles  closed  her  eyes,  and  remained  for  several 
minutes  in  passive  relaxation.  Then : 

"You  have  two  guides.  One  has  followed  you  since 
childhood.  He  has  the  appearance  of  an  old  soldier,  and 
seems  to  have  had  something  to  do  with  the  sea  also." 

S.  A.  M. :     "You  say  he  looks  like  an  old  soldier?" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Yes,  but  it's  not  your  father.  This  one  is 
your  guide.  Yet,  he  seems  to  have  belonged  to  the  family 
—a  long  time  ago — perhaps  hundred  years  ago!  He 
shows  me  armor — must  have  been  in  family  long  time 
ago!  This  guide  has  led  you  with  a  star — a  star — has  led 
you  out  of  hell  to  gain  heaven.  You  could  have  become  a 
drunkard  and  a  professional  gambler — this  guide  kept 
pulling  you  back." 


180  OUR   JOE 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  I  guess  that's  right.  I  used  to  be 
very  successful  when  I  tried  to  gamble.  I  suppose  I  could 
have  done  fairly  well,  for  I  had  mastered  the  art  of  read- 
ing the  other  fellow's  hand  by  the  expressions  of  his  face." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Yes,  but  this  guide  wouldn't  let  you  be- 
come a  great  drunkard  and  gambler — he  kept  pulling  you 
back!  You  are  very  psychic  yourself!  You  have  con- 
siderable power!  You  could  have  developed  it.  This 
guide  of  yours  brings  two  other  spirits  to  you  now. 
Wasn't  your  father's  name  Harvey?" 

S.  A.  M.  (a  little  surprised)  :  "Why,  yes,  that's  his 
name !" 

Mrs.  I. :  "And  wasn't  your  mother's  name  Eliza- 
beth?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  these  are  the  two  your  guide  brings 
first.  Your  mother  is  being  supported  by  your  father- 
she  seems  to  be  rather  feeble — your  father's  magnetism  is 
supporting  your  mother — she  isn't  very  strong  yet — they 
are  together  all  the  time!  Abruptly: — "Didn't  your 
mother  pass  away  in  Los  Angeles?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  ma'am,  that's  right?" 

Mrs.  I. :  "I  thought  so — the  guide  shows  me  South 
—'passed  out  in  South,'  he  says.  She  hasn't  been  gone 
very  long?  Just  little  while?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "Only  about  two  months.  No,  not  very 
long." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Your  father  gives  me  the  names  "Harvey 
and  Elizabeth/  He  says,  'We  have  seen  the  boy!' ' 

S.  A.  M. :     "Says  they  have  seen  the  boy?" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Yes,  that's  what  he  says.  The  next  spirit 
that  comes  to  you  is  that  of  a  young  soldier ;  don't  know 
if  you  know  him  or  not,  but  it  seems  like  he  is  a  com- 
panion to  the  other  boy." 

S.  A.  M.:     "The  'other'  boy?" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Yes.  This  young  soldier  comes  with  an- 
other boy ;  they  are  both  of  about  the  same  height.  The 
boy — (other  boy) — throws  a  purple  aura  round  you.  This 
boy  has  brown  eyes — good  features — high  forehead — 


OUR   JOE 


181 


brown  hair — not  dark  brown,  but  a  nice  brown — parted 
on  side.  The  old  man — your  father — links  his  hand  with 
the  boy's  and  puts  them  on  your  shoulder.  The  boy  says, 
Tell  Dad—'  (confusion)  he  says  something  about  'name- 
sake'— no,  the  old  man  says  something  about  namesake, 
and  the  boy  says,  Tell  Dad — '  well,  it  is  something  about 
some  kind  of  connection  between  their  names!  Do  you 
understand  ?" 

S.A.  M.:     "I  think  I  do!" 

Mrs.  I.  (to  father)  :  "Give  me  your  hands ;  you  are 
a  little  nervous !  Now,  that's  better.  Say,  haven't  you  a 
little  dog  around  the  house — a  little  dog — like  that  (indi- 
cating with  hands  a  very  small  dog)  ?" 

S.  A.  M. :  "No,  we  haven't  any  dog  at  our  house. 
Does  he  say  something  about  a  dog?" 


"Sport"  or  "Pal"  the  "Psychic"  Airedale, 
in  front.of  9O4  Brush  Street. 


182  OUR   JOE 

Mrs.  I.:     "Yes.     There  is  a  little  dog,  isn't  there?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Well,  we  haven't  any  dog." 

Mrs.  I. :  "This  little  dog  has  some  connection  with 
the  boy — it  was  with  him  at  the  time  of  his  passing!  It  is 
not  in  the  spirit;  it  is  in  the  body!  The  boy  shows  me 
how  he  would  shout  to  the  dog." 

S.  A.  M. :  "I  think  I  know  what  he  means  now. 
Yes,  you  are  correct.  There  was  a  little  Airedale  dog  with 
him  when  he  was  killed." 

Mrs.  I.:  "Yes.  Well,  it — it  sounds  funny — (she 
laughed) — but  he  says  something  about  being  in  com- 
munication with  this  dog !  Like  as  if  the  dog  was  clair- 
voyant, or  something  like  that!  That  sounds  funny, 
doesn't  it?" 

My  father  and  I  both  agreed  that  it  did  sound  funny : 
a  dog  clairvoyant ! 

Mrs.  I. :  "I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing !  Well,  he 
must  communicate  in  some  way  with  this  dog.  Don't 
that  sound  funny?  Anyway,  he  wants  you  to  get  this  dog! 
Wants  it  brought  into  his  home !" 

S.  A.  M. :  "All  right,  Joe,  I  will  see  if  I  can  get  the 
dog." 

Mrs.  I. :  "This  boy  writes  his  name — J-o-s-e-p-h 
H-a-r-v-e-y." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  that's  his  name  all  right!" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Now  I  see  what  he  meant  by  a  connection 
between  the  two  names :  your  father's  name  was  Harvey, 
and  your  son's  second  name  was  Harvey." 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  that  is  correct." 

Mrs.  I. :     "Didn't  he  call  you  'papa'?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Oh,  yes,  lots  of  times !'  ' 

Mrs.  I. :  "I  mean  he  didn't  call  you  'daddy/  but 
'papa'?'; 

S.  A.  M. :  "Well,  sometimes  he  called  me  'Dad,'  but 
he  called  me  'papa'  most  of  the  time." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  Joe  says,  'Papa,  I  want  to  tell  you 
I've  got  a  perfect  body,  and  a  perfect  face.  Think  of  me 
just  as  I  ivas!  In  spirit — but  more  beautiful,  if  you  can. 
Spirits  out  of  the  body  of  clay  are  more  beautiful  than 


OUR   JOE  183 

in  body.  I. can't  forget  the  love  of  my  first  entering  spirit 
life — on  awakening  to  consciousness  in  Grandma's  arms! 
With  Sister  and  Brother.'  He  smiles — with  power!  He 
is  so  strong!  Don't  you  feel  the  power?" 

My  father  describes  the  sensation  as  similar  to  that 
of  an  electric  current  passing  through  hands  and  arms, 
while  holding  on  to  knobs — a  very  strong  vibration ! 

Mrs.  I. :  "Joe  says,  'I  am  happy  because  I  am  in 
touch  with  you — and  you  know  it.  It  gives  every  spirit- 
he  laughs,  'more  pep.'  He  says,  'Remember  you  are  a 
spirit,  too,  and  you  have  influence.'  He  speaks  in  connec- 
tion with  future  welfare — not  material — he  is  speaking- 
in  connection  with  some  future  development  (psychic?) 
in  the  home!  Did  he  pass  away  with — (confusion).  He 
was  a  fine  boy !" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  he  was  a  beautiful  boy!" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Well,  he  is  going  to  bring  about  some 
wonderful  manifestations.  In  the  material  you  are  all 
right,  but — "  (here,  unfortunately,  she  was  interrupted 
by  the  telephone,  much  to  her  annoyance  and  perturba- 
tion; she  never  seemed  to  gain  as  good  connections  as 
before). 

"Your  guide  says,  you  are  all  right  financially,  only 
be  cautious  about  your  investments — and  your  property. 
You  have  worked  hard  sometimes — wtih  hands  as  well  as 
with  brain — isn't  that  right?" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes." 

Mrs.  I. :  "You  have  had  to  battle  all  your  life  with 
two  forces.  You  are  going  to  have  a  change  of  your 
psychic  powers — why,  I  wouldn't  be  surprised  if  you 
see  and  hear  spirits  soon !  You  could  have  developed  great 
psychic  nower!  But  there  is  a  revelation  ahead.  You 
are  too  busy  to  read  much!" 

S.  A.  M. :     "Yes,  that  is  about  right !" 

Mrs.  I. :  "You  ought  to  have  good  manifestation  in 
your  own  home." 

Here  I  interrupted  to  ask :  "Mrs.  Isles,  as  a  sort  of 
test,  I  would  like  for  you  to  see  if  you  can  get  my  father's 


184  OUR   JOE 

professional  or  business  connections.  That  is,  if  you  are 
not  over-taxed  already." 

Mrs.  I.  (after  a  moment's  concentration)  :  "Well,  I 
can  see  that  he  has  something  to  do  with  railroads." 

Quite  correct ! 

Mrs.  I. :  "You  are  a  good  servant  of  your  company 
—  (whatever  it  is).  Sometimes  you  are  stationary— 
sometimes  you  are  moving.  Duty  is  a  big  word  with  you ! 
Your  forces  make  you  do  your  duty !  You  would  be  true 
to  your  trust  in  spite  of  everything — family,  or  any  other 
opposition.  You  have  the  power  of  will  and  command !" 

The  sitting  ended  at  five  minutes  past  five  o'clock. 

Note  by  C.  S.  M. :  It  seems  to  me  that  there  were 
several  things  about  this  sitting  which  might  be  called 
very  good,  and  very  evidential:  viz.,  the  giving  of  the 
names  Harvey  and  Elizabeth  (other  mediums  had  given 
Grandma's  name,  but  this  was  the  first  time  Grandpa's 
name  was  given)  ;  also  the  stating  of  the  fact  that  Grand- 
ma had  passed  away  in  Los  Angeles;  the  linking  of  the 
names;  the  mention  of  the  little  dog  (See  page  ^81) 
and  the  description  of  my  father's  vocation,  etc.  The 
reader  will  note,  by  comDaring  other  of  Mrs.  Isles'  mes- 
sages to  members  of  the  family,  that  there  is  considerable 
new  material.  The  question  is:  Hoiv  could  Mrs.  Isles 
give  all  this  informtaion,  if  she  did  not  get  it  from  the 
spirit  world? 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Report  of  Very  Evidential  Sitting  ivith  Mr.  F.  K. 
Brown,  at  his  Apartment,  735  Seventeenth  Street,  Oak- 
land, Wednesday,  November  16,  11:00  A.  M. 

On  the  morning  of  November  16  I  had  an  unusually 
good  sitting  with  Mr.  F.  K.  Brown,  who  is  minister  of 
Trinity  Spiritual  Church.  My  wife  accompanied  me  to 
Mr.  Brown's  rooms,  and  was  present  during  the  sitting 
to  take  notes.  Below  is  the  report  of  the  sitting,  as  recon- 
structed from  her  notes : 


OUR   JOE  -185 

The  reading  began  at  eleven  o'clock. 

Mr.  Brown  prefaced  the  reading  proper  by  a  half 
hour's  conversation  on  the  general  subject  of  Spiritualism, 
communication,  guide-control,  etc.,  explaining  that  he 
could  not  guarantee  results ;  he  could  only  surrender  him- 
self to  his  Spirit  Guides,  and  trust  that  they  would  be  able 
to  get  something  through  to  me,  that  I  could  recognize, 
and  that  would  be  of  comfort  and  help.  He  explained  to 
us  his  understanding  of  the  philosophic  principles  of 
Modern  Spiritualism,  but  inasmuch  as  we  felt  that  we  al- 
ready possessed  a  fairly  good  understanding  of  these,  but 
very  little  was  taken  down  in  the  report. 

After  Mr.  Brown  had  "explained"  at  considerable 
length,  he  gave  way  to  the  apparent  control  of  his  Spirit 
Guides. 

Mr.  Brown :  "The  first  one  who  comes  to  you  from 
the  spirit  side  of  life  is  a  gentleman — appears  about  mid- 
dle-age ;  has  thick  chest,  fair  hair,  slightly  tinged  with 
gray  around  the  edges.  He  gives  me  no  name,  but  he 
seems  like  he  might  be  a  father  or  a  grandfather.  This 
man,  while  on  earth,  was  very  devoted  to  his  family ;  loved 
his  home.  Can  you  place  him?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "No,  I  can't  say  that  I  do,  with  that  de- 
scription. It  hardly  fits  Grandpa,  and  my  father  is  not 
in  spirit  life." 

Mr.  Brown:  "Well,  he  comes  surrounded  by  five 
others—  '  (here  Mr.  Brown,  or  his  Guide,  broke  off  from 
communication  to  exulain  a  few  things  about  how  spirits 
communicate  with  us,  and  with  other  spirits).  (Return- 
ing to  communication)  :  "You  attract  your  loved  ones 
right  to  you.  They  rush  quickly  to  you.  You  have  kept 
your  soul  in  fitness.  Your  beloved  brother  rushed  to  you 
instantly.  He  comes  (now)  as  with  a  start — as  from  a 
seated  position — as  if  he  were  sitting — leaps  and  starts. 
He  went  out  (of  the  body)  instantly.  He  laughs! — laugh 
expresses  it — his  face  is  illuminated ;  his  eyes  are  clear  as 
crystal — fearless.  He  says,  'I  used  to  have  to  fight  my 
way  through,  sometimes.  I  would  swear  sometimes,  if  I 
had  to.  You  rest  at  ease.  I  am  going  to  help  you.  I  touch 


186  OUR   JOE 

myself  sometimes  to  see  if  it  is  the  same  me.  I  realize 
what  I  went  through.  There  are  debts;  they  will  all  be 
paid. 

"Joe  says,  'I  became  a  little  tired;  stumped  my  toe; 
walked  through  the  shrubbery;  I  posed  myself  along  a 
tree — I  squatted — set  down  my  knapsack  and  gun.  It 
was  a  wonderful  scene  (probably  meaning  from  where  he 
sat) .  I  went  through  my  pockets  to  see  what  I  had — not 
flushed  with  much — saw  what  would  bring  me  gain  and 
pleasure.  (The  reader  will  remember  that  $76  in  cur- 
rency was  found  on  Joe's  body) . 

"  'I  sat  still  and  quiet  for  awhile  and  thought — (sotto 
voice:  something  moved;  the  dog  moved)  thought  I  would 
have  a  little  shot— of  smoke — something  moved — a  report 
came — .  It  is  beyond  me  to  describe  how  quickly  all  was 
still — saw  my  form  quiver  and  move !  Went  to  city — get 
those  (confusion).  Charlie,  there  were  three  things  in 
gun  which  could  be  used.  They  overlooked  things — got 
all  bollixed  up — I  harmed  no  one;  no  one  harmed  me. 
They  tried  to  make  out  that  it  was  murder  and  suicide— 
and  everything  but  what  it  was,  a  pure  accident !  That's 
all  it  was — just  an  accident! 

"Brother,  I  love  you  more  than  I  ever  did.  I'm  in  no 
torment.  Love  you  more — going  to  help  you  *  *  *  we 
all  make  mistakes.  Remember  when  Isaid,  'Why  don't 
you  get  into  something'?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe,  I  remember  that.  Do  you  re- 
member when  you  saw  me  last?" 

Joe :  "Sure.  But  don't  magnify  these  things  we  get 
through  too  much.  I  am  getting  stronger.  More  is  yet 
to  come.  Like  a  new  job — takes  us  long  time  to  tell  all 
about  it — possibly  six  months.  I'll  keep  coming  in  the 
home." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  for  the  last  several  nights  I 
have  thought,  after  going  to  bed,  that  I  could  hear  some- 
think  like  a  voice  in  my  ear.  I  decided  maybe  it  was 
imagination.  Was  it?" 

Joe:  "It  was  me  saying  'goodnight.'  I  don't  make 
any  disturbances;  I  want  your  bodies  to  have  rest  and 


OUR   JOE  187 

sleep.  I  still  have  my  old  white-handled  knife.  I  like  to 
play  pranks  and  jokes  on  others,  and  like  to  have  them 
play  pranks  on  me.  Used  to,  when  the  engine  would  stop, 
we  would  stand  around  and  talk.  Some  would  chew,  and 
some  would  smoke.  I  never  blame  anyone  that  was  ever 
mean  to  me." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  do  you  remember  Charles 
Sides?" 

Joe:  "Don't  be  so  anxious  to  get  tests  through — 
makes  me  feel  bad.  It's  me.  I  want  you  to  believe  it's  me. 
I  have  met  Al." 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  have  met  Al?  I  don't  remember  Al. 
Is  he  the  young  soldier  that  Mrs.  Isles  told  papa  was  a 
companion  of  yours?" 

Joe:  "No,  that  (the  young  soldier)  was  a  dear  fel- 
low we  met  in  transportation — we  helped — he  was  in  such 
a  predicament — moaning  and  groaning.  We  talked  him 
out  of  his  troubles.  Say,  extend  my  greetings  to  William 
—to  Bill."  (Mr.  Brown,  sotto  voice:  "He  wants  you  to 
say  hello  to  Bill ;  Bill  must  be  some  fellow  in  his  frater- 
nity.") 

Joe  (continuing)  :  "Just  keep  up  with  everything, 
but  don't  rush.  I  will  help  to  keep  your  pathway  clear, 
and  you  will  get  along  nicely.  Don't  spend  all  your  money, 
and  get  broke." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Joe !  Do  you  recall  anything  about 
a  bicycle?" 

Joe :  "Well  I  guess  I  do !  I  skinned  my  knee  once 
(meaning  probably  he  had  once  slipped  and  fallen  from 
the  bicycle) ." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Well,  do  you  remember  where  you  got 

the  bicycle?" 

Joe:     "Yes,  and  I  got  it  honestly!    Didn't  I?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  Joe.     You  bought  it  from  me,  and 

paid  me  cash  for  it." 


188 


OUR   JOE 


Joe  and  a  friend  repairing  the  "bicycle." 

Joe:  "They  were  always  afraid  I  would  get  hurt. 
But  I  want  to  talk  of  things  that  I  am  now  in." 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Joe.  That's  fine.  I  am  very 
curious  to  hear  whatever  you  want  to  say  about  your 
world." 

Joe :  "If  anyone  tells  you  I  am  dead  they  are  telling* 
a  falsehood.  I  am  not  dead.  I  am  more  alive  than  I  ever 
was.  Say,  you  have  been  doing  a  lot  of  writing  recently !" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  Joe,  I  have." 

Joe :  "Yes,  you  have  been  writing  and  sending 
away." 

C.  S.  M. :  "No,  Joe,  I  haven't  sent  anything  away; 
that  is,  I  haven't  written  anything  that  I  have  sent  away 
for  publication !" 


OUR   JOE  189 

Joe :  "No,  but  you  have  written  something  and  sent 
it  away." 

(Since  the  sitting  I  have  been  able  to  verify  Joe's 
statement  as  being  correct.  I  wrote  a  long  letter  dealing 
with  Spiritualism  to  a  lady  whose  home  is  near  Santa 
Cruz,  California.  I  am  reasonably  certain  that  it  was 
this  letter  to  which  he  referred,  inasmuch  as  it  was  rather 
important,  and  concerned  matters  in  which  he  would  be 
likely  to  be  interested.  The  party  in  question,  like  my- 
self, was  investigating  the  phenomena  of  Spiritualism. 
This  reference  seemed  to  me  rather  evidential). 

Joe :  "A  letter  came  to  you  expressing  eagerness  for 
you  to  return  to  your  work  where  you  were !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "No,  Joe,  you  are  mistaken.  No  letter 
came  to  me  wanting  me  to  return  to  my  work  in  Oklahoma 
City." 

Joe:  "Yes,  you  did  receive  such  a  letter!  From  a 
long  way  off — expressing  hope  you  could  return  to  that 
work!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  yes,  Joe !  You  are  right.  I  remem- 
ber now.  You  mean  the  letter  I  received  from  Dr.  Holmes? 
(Rev.  John  Haynes  Holmes :  see  pp.  34,  35.) 

Joe:     "Of  course!" 

(Note:  This  should  be  considered  very  good.  Again 
we  ask,  how  on  earth  did  Mr.  Brown  get  this,  if  not  from 
Joe?) 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  don't  you  think  it  was  a  nice 
letter?  Do  you  know  all  the  kind  things  he  said?" 

Joe:     "Yes****it  was  very  flowery;  and  very  nice!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Joe,  do  you  remember  anything  about 
Nevada?" 

Joe:  "Yes!  How  did  I  ever  get  abound  it!  I  was 
doing  it  then !  You  couldn't  keep  me  still.  That  fellow 
that  went  with  me  was  no  good.  He  sponged  off  me !  He 
wanted  to  know  everything  I  got.  I'll  get  hold  of  him 
some  day  and  shake  him !" 

C.  S.  M.:     "You  don't  mean  you  will  hurt  him?" 
Joe :     "Oh,  no,  but  I'd  like  to  shake  him  un  a  little. 
He  didn't  do  me  right.    But  you — Lowe  you  yet." 


190  OUR   JOE 

C.  S.  M. :  "No,  Joe.  You  don't  owe  me  anything. 
But  I  owe  you." 

Joe :  "Well,  I  owe  you,  and  you  owe  me.  What 
little  I  did  for  you  was  to  help  you  out!" 

(The  test  concerning  "Nevada"  was  excellent.  The 
reader  will  remember  that  the  same  question  was  asked 
once  before  during  a  table  sitting  in  our  own  home.  See 
pp.  158,  159.) 

As  before  stated,  Joe  went  to  Nevada  in  the  fall  of 
1917,  in  search  of  work.  A  strike  had  been  called  in  the 
yards  where  my  brother  worked,  throwing  him  out  of  em- 
ployment. 

He  visited  the  Employment  Bureaus  in  Oakland  and 
Berkeley  for  several  days,  and  was  finally  offered  a  job 
with  a  railroad  gang  in  Nevada.  He  and  a  young  man 
came  to  sse  me  at  the  place  where  I  was  temporarily  em- 
ployed, and  informed  me  of  their  intention  to  go  to  the 
job.  I  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  idea,  and  I  said  so. 
My  remonstrance  was  unavailing,  however.  It  was  prob- 
ably a  reference  to  the  fact  that  I  had  attempted  to  talk 
him  out  of  the  idea  of  going  away,  when  he  said :  "I  was 
doing  it  then !  You  couldn't  keep  me  still." 

"That  fellow  that  went  with  me"  referred  to  the 
young  man  who  had  accompanied  Joe  on  what  he  later 
described  as  his  "wild  goose  chase."  My  brother  had 
about  $75  or  $80  with  him,  while  the  other  young  man 
had  perhaps  $10  or  $15.  "That  fellow"  held  on  to  his  own 
money  as  much  as  was  possible,  permitting  my  brother 
to  bear  all  the  experse.  After  Joe's  return  to  Berkeley 
about  six  weeks  later  he  was  able  to  realize  to  what  ex- 
tent he  had  been  duped  by  his  friend." 

The  reference  "I  owe  you  a  lot"  probably  had  to  do 
with  the  fn?t  that  I  had  "staked"  him,  and  had  helped 
him  to  get  on  his  feet  again,  following  his  return  from 
Nevada. 

The  statement  "and  you  owe  me,"  in  reply  to  my  ob- 
jection that  he  owed  me  nothing  seems  quite  clearly  to 
refer  to  the  assistance  he  had  given  me  (financially)  prior 
to  my  departure  for  New  York  City  in  February  of  1920. 


OUR   JOE  191 

Mr.  Brown  (continuing)  :  "I  see  him  drawing  a 
picture — a  scene — cemetery.  There  is  a  6  ft.  monument; 
goes  to  a  peak.  It  is  an  old  one ;  been  there  for  a  number 
of  years — he  is  drawing  it — it  is  away  from  here.  I 
see  him  drawing  the  letters  A-n-n — "  (confusion) 

C.  S.  M. :     "Annie?" 

Mr.  B.  "Yes,  that  is  it.  He  shows  me  her  grave. 
There  is  another  grave  there,  too !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe,  the  body  of  little  brother  Willie 
is  right  beside  Annie's." 

Mr.  B.  (Joe  speaking)  "She  has  been  very  good  to 
me?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "You  mean  Annie  has?" 

Joe :     "Yes.    She  looks  out  for  me." 

(Note:  The  cemetery  scene  might  very  well  be  the 
cemetery  at  Perkins,  Oklahoma,  where  Willie  and  Annie 
rest  side  by  side  (that  is,  where  their  dear  little  bodies 
rest;  the  real  sister  and  brother  are  not  there) .  The  six 
foot  tombstone,  however,  could  not  refer  to  the  stone  at 
Annie's  grave.  That  stone  was  only  a  small  one.  How- 
ever, it  is  possible  that- there  may  be  such  a  monument 
next  to,  or  near  her  grave.  We  cannot  say.) 

Joe :  (continuing)  "Wind  up  the  watch  and  keep  it 
going.  It  ought  to  last  you  a  long  time.  I  used  to  keep  it 
right  on  the  second.  I  still  use  it,  and  it  keeps  good  time." 

C.  S.  M. :  "You  mean  you  still  use  your  watch?  The 
one  you  told  mama  to  give  to  me?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  J  don't  see  how  that  can  be! 
I  don't  see  how  you  can  have  the  watch,  and  use  it,  when 
I  have  it,  and  use  it  too !" 

Joe :  "Well,  I  use  it  anyway.  And  it  keeus  just  as 
good  time  as  it  ever  did.  You've  only  got  the  shell ;  I've 
got  the  real  watch !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  that  may  be,  you've  got  me 
guessing  now.  I  must  confess  that  I  don't  get  you.  How 
can  you  still  use  the  watch,  when  I  have  it?" 

Joe :     "Well,  I  use  it  anyway !" 


192 


OUR   JOE 


C.  S.  M. :  ''All  right,  Joe,  I'll  take  your  word  for  it; 
but  it  sounds  queer." 

Joe :  "Say  Charlie,  do  you  remember  the  time  they 
had  the  streets  all  torn  up — dug  up — putting  down  pipes  ?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Where,  Joe?    Back  at  D«?" 

Joe :  "Yes !  They  were  putting  in  the  sewers — deep 
trenches  dug — dirt  along  the  sides  — big  pipes  lying  along 
side  trenches.  We  used  to  get  down  in  the  trenches  and 
play.  Remember  that?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe,  that's  fine !  I  remember  that 
quite  well.  We  used  to  have  some  great  times !" 

Joe :  "Do  you  remember  fellow  threw  apple  thru  a 
pipe  I  was  looking  into  once  ?  It  hit  me  on  the  nose,  and 
scratched  it.  I  didn't  tell  anybody  about  the  scratch.  It 
wasn't  much  of  a  scratch !" 

C.  S.  M. :     "No,  I  can't  say  that  I  remember  that !" 

Joe :  "Well,  you  see  you  forget,  too !  When  we  ask 
you  if  you  remember  certain  things,  you  don't  always 
do  so.  Yet  you  ask  us  if  we  remember  lots  of  things. 
Sometimes  we  can't  just  recall  it  at  the  instant.  We're 
just  like  you  are  about  that." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe.  We  realize  that.  But  do  you 
remember  the  Progress  Theatre?" 

Joe :  "You  bet !  I  used  to  get  mine.  Used  to  sneak 
in  lots  of  times." 

C.  S.  M.  :"No,  Joe,  you  are  not  thinking  of  the  right 
one.  I  remember  how  we  used  to  sneak  in  the  "Texas 
Grand"  at  D-,  but  that  isn't  the  one  I  mean.  I  mean  the 
Progress  Theatre  over  on  Fillmore  Street,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. Can  you  recall  anything  about  that?" 

Joe :     "Sure !    I  worked  there !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "That's  fine !  Yes,  you  did.  Do  you 
remember  the  enormous  salary  you  received  ?" 

Joe :     "I'll  say  I  do !" 

(The  answer  to  the  question  about  the  Progress 
theatre  was  very  good.  Joe  was  employed  there  for  about 
three  weeks,  at  a  salary  of  $10  per  week.) 

Joe :  "Say,  mama  has  got  a  headache  now !  Hasn't 
she?" 


OUR   JOE  193 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  I  didn't  hear  her  say  anything 
about  it,  Joe,  but  I'll  ask  her  when  we  get  home.  Are  you 
sure?" 

Joe:  "Yes,  I'm  sure.  She  has  a  headache,  but  she 
isn't  saying  much  about  it.  You'll  see  I'm  right  when 
you  get  home." 

(Note:  This  proved  to  be  correct.  My  mother  was 
surprised  when  we  told  her  Joe's  statement,  but  she  re- 
plied :  "Well,  that  was  right.  I  have  had  a  very  severe 
headache  all  morning.") 

Joe:  "I  am  very  happy  here.  This  Christmas  I'll 
get  more  gifts  than  ever  before.  Tell  mama  I  kiss  her 
sometimes,  but  she  can't  feel  it.  I  think  mama  will  be  the 
next  to  come  over  here." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  we  hope  it  won't  be  soon,  Joe.  We 
couldn't  spare  mama.  But  say,  Joe,  you  never  answered 
my  question  awhile  ago  about  little  Charles  Sides.  Remem- 
ber him?" 

Joe :  "Yes.  He's  all  right— fine  little  fellow.  Kinda 
inclined  go  'long  in  dream,  but  he  will  be  very  successful." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  I'm  glad  to  hear  that,  Joe !  Do  you 
know  he's  going  to  school  now,  and  that  he  is  learning 
very  rapidly?" 

Joe:  "Give  my  love  to  them  all — by  pounds  and 
ounces !  Give  my  regards  to  all  the  boys  on  the  works !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "All  right,  Joe,  boy.  But  say,  you've  no 
idea  how  we  miss  you  at  home !" 

Joe:  "Yes,  and  I  miss  you  too,  but  I  stay  around 
home  most  of  the  time.  You've  got  a  picture  of  me  at 
home  that  makes  me  look  like  a  doll  baby — looks  too 
pretty.  It's  hanging  up — up — on  the  wall !  It's  all  right 
though." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  that's  right,  Joe.  What  else  about 
it?" 

Joe :     "You  are  up  there  too !" 

(Note:  This  should  be  considered  excellent.) 

About  two  months  before  Joe's  passing,  the  photo- 
graphs were  taken,  one  of  which  is  reproduced  in  the 
front is-piece.  They  were  considered  so  good  that  my 


194 


OUR   JOE 


mother  had  one  of  them  enlarged,  and  tinted,  i.e.,  finished 
in  colors,  showing  the  hue  of  his  hair  and  eyes.  She  al- 
ready had  a  similar  photograph  of  me.  Both  photographs 
occupied  places  on  the  piano,  one  on  the  right  end,  the 
other  on  the  left,  until  about  a  month  before  the  sitting 
with  Mr.  Brown,  when  they  were  framed  together,  and 
were  hung  up  on  the  wall. 

When  Joe  first  saw  the  enlarged  and  tinted  picture, 
my  mother  remembered  that  it  embarrassed  him  a  little, 
and  that  he  said:  "Aw,  mama,  that's  too  good  looking 
for  me !" 

The  reader  will  observe  that  the  description  as  given 
thru  Mr.  Brown  is  very  accurate,  in  every  detail !  See 
reproduction  below. 


The  Photographs  of  "Joe"  and  "Charlie"  Framed  together. 


OUR   JOE  195 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  can  you  tell  us  how  it  is  you 
can  get  these  messages  through  to  us  through  this 
medium?" 

Joe:  "Well,  you  remember  I  was  always  getting 
into  everything.  One  time  on  the  corner  of  Market  and — 
Stock — Mason — no,  I  don't  remember  what  other  street  it 
was — but  there  was  a  man  with  a  telescope,  and  he  said, 
"Come  look  at  the  moon."  Everybody  didn't  look  through 
it,  but  I  did.  Well,  it's  like  that.  But  sometimes  it's 
hard." 

(Joe  probably  meant  that  getting  messages  over  thru 
a  medium  was  similar  to  seeing  thru  a  telescope ;  that  a 
medium  was  the  instrument,  or  channel,  thru  which  com- 
munications could  be  given,  just  as  the  telescope  is  the 
channel  thru  which  glimpses  can  be  had  of  the  moon.) 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  do  you  remember  telling  us 
thru  the  table  one  night  that  you  talked  with  Mr.  Brown 
one  Sunday  afternoon,  and  that  you  told  him  he'd  better 
give  us  a  message  at  Church  that  night?"  (See  table 
sitting  of  Nov.  6.) 

Joe :  "Yes.  I  talked  to  him  nearly  all  night  once. 
It  was  hard  to  make  him  understand  me." 

(Continuing)  "Say  Charlie,  do  you  remember  back 

at  D how  we  used  to  look  thru  the  same  knot-hole  at 

the  ball  games?" 

C.  S.  M.:  "Sure,  Joe,  I'll  never  forget  that!  I'm 
glad  you  mentioned  it.  It's  a  good  test!  No  one  could 
know  about  that  but  you  and  I." 

Joe:  "Well,  I  am  not  weak.  I'm  strong.  But  I 
can't  always  get  everything  over  like  I'd  like  to !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Joe,  do  you  know  what  mama  has  in 
your  trunk?" 

Joe :     "Yes.    Let  her  cherish  them." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  Joe,  mama  wouldn't  take  a  million 
dollars  for  those  things !" 

Joe :  "They  are  packed  away,  but  I  still  use  them.  I 
still  use  them — over  here !" 

C.  S.  M. :  (Surprised) .  "you  still  use  those  clothes, 
and  wear  that  suit,  and  hat,  and  shoes?" 


196  OUR   JOE 

Joe:  "Sure  I  do!  They  are  all  here.  That  is,  the 
life  of  them  is  here !" 

C.  S.  M.:  "Well,  Joe,  that  get's  my  goat!  Have 
suits,  and  shoes,  and  hats,  and  watches  got  souls  too  ?" 

Joe:  "Sure  they  have!  We  have  everything  here 
that  you  have  there!  You  only  have  the  material — the 
shell !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say  Joe,  what  about  the  hose  you  spoke 
about?" 

Joe:  "I  still  use  it — the  air  hose,  and  the  one  that 
was  used  to  wash  off  the  engine.  Be  of  good  cheer.  You'll 
always  know  that  I  am  in  the  home.  Keep  up  the  table 
sittings.  (How  did  Brown  know  about  the  table  sittings  ?) 
But  don't  ask  me  such  questions  as  'who  taught  me  my 
A,  B,  C !  I  can't  always  remember  every  little  thing  like 
that!" 

Mr.  Brown :  "Another  spirit  comes  to  you — gives 
me  a  name  like  E-linor — or  Elizabeth." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Elizabeth  probably." 

Mr.  Brown :  "Also  someone  by  name  of  Smith — 
and  another  by  name  of  Goodspeed." 

C.  S.  M. :     "I  do  not  remember  any  Goodspeed." 

Mr.  Brown :  "Another  one  gives  me  the  name  of 
J-i-m,  and  the  letter  P.  There's  quite  a  lot  come  to  greet 
you. 

"Another  old  gentleman  comes — not  a  relative — just 
a  friend.  He  is  anxious  to  greet  you.  You  know  him. 
He  used  to  be  around  a  little  church  a  lot — used  to  think 
a  lot  of  you.  He  has  a  long — well,  not  so  very  long — 
white  beard — and  he  has  a  Bible  with  him.  Used  to  think 
you  had  fine  quality.  Do  you  recognize  him?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Sure  I  do !  The  description  fits  exactly 

old  Grandpa  M ,  a  good  old  gentleman  I  used  to  know 

in  D .  Ask  him  if  he  still  likes  to  argue  about  the 

Bible  and  religion  ?" 

Mr.  Brown  (without  answering  question)  "Also  man 
comes  with  name  Mac  In — Mackin — sounds  like  tosh,  or 
Macintarny!  Place  the  name?" 


OUR   JOE  197 

C.  S.  M. :     "Is  it  Maclnarny  ?" 

M.  B. :  "Something  like  that.  I  can't  seem  to  get  it 
exactly." 

(Note:  I  knew  Mclnarny.  The  name  is  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  these  communications.) 

Mr.  B. :     "Did  you  ever  live  in  Canada?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "No." 

Mr.  B. :  "Well,  a  lady  and  a  man  come,  and  they 
show  me  that  they  used  to  live  in  Canada.  The  name 

begins  with  a  B sounds  something  like  B-i-r-d.  1 

wouldn't  be  sure." 

C.  S.  M. :     "What  about  George?" 

Mr.  B. :  "I  don't  get  George.  Maybe  he  is  not  here 
now.  Also  someone — a  couple — come.  They  give  me  the 
name  of  McHuen — or  MclJen,  or  something  like  that, 
Also  a  little  babe  in  the  spirit  world." 

C.  S.  M.:     "Not  mine!" 

Mr.  B. :  "No,  not  yours,  but  comes  out  of  your  circle 
somewhere.  It  was  so  small  when  it  passed  out  that  the 
casket  was  carried  on  someone's  lap.  There  are  lots  of 
others.  Caroline  also  comes." 

C.  S.  M. :     "I  don't  know  Caroline." 

Mr.  B. :  "She's  not  a  relation — but  you  know  her. 
She  says  you  know  her.  She  was  the  one  that  engineered 
that  Church  concert.  It  was  in  a  church." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Well,  I  can't  remember  just  now." 

Mr.  B. :  "Well,  she  says  you  have  a  poor  memory! 
She  remembered  you  well." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Was  she  a  worker  in  the  church?" 

Mr.  B. :     "Yes,  an  active  worker,  she  says." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Well,  tell  her  I  am  sorry  I  can't  recall  her. 
I've  met  so  many  thousands  during  my  ministry.  But 
I'll  try  to  look  it  up  in  my  scrap  book !" 

Mr.  B. :  "Yes,  do.  She  seems  very  anxious  for  you 
to  remember  her.  She  says  she  has  come  before." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Mrs.  Nanning  called  Caroline's 
name  two  or  three  times,  but  I  couldn't  remember.  Tell 
her  I  will  look  it  up." 

Mr.  B. :     "Another  young  man  comes.    He  gives  me 


198  OUR   JOE 

a  sensation  like  suffocating.  He  was  drowned  somewhere 
near  a  gas  house.  He  doesn't  give  any  name." 

(My  wife  had  a  brother,  "Ollie"  who  was  drowned, 
but  whether  near  a  gas  house  or  not,  we  do  not  know.) 

Mr.  B. :  "Frank  also  comes.  Frank  says  there  is 
someone  here  you  have  often  wondered  about.  He  was 
an  associate  of  your's — a  slender  man — he  went  away  and 
you  never  heard  of  him  since." 

C.  S.  M. :     "I  can't  place  him  either." 

Mr.  B. :  "You  could  easily  get  things  for  yourself. 
But  you  require  such  strong  proof — like  a  doubting 
Thomas." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Maybe  so." 

Mr.  Brown  then  gave  a  startling  accurate  descrip- 
tion of  the  interior  of  our  house  at  904  Brush  street.  He 
described  the  hallway ;  the  stairs  leading  up  to  the  second 
story;  the  parlor,  dining  room,  kitchen,  and  a  clothes 
closet  under  the  stairs  leading  up  from  the  kitchen.  He 
related  an  incident  which  my  wife  was  able  to  verify; 
namely,  that  in  this  cothes  closet  were  two  large  drawers, 
under  a  shelf.  This  was  quite  correct.  Said  he : 

"This  house  (where  we  live)  is  a  very  old  house." 
Correct ! 

"Well,  two  or  three  others  (besides  your  brother  and 
grandmother)  passed  out  from  that  house.  Two  others 
passed  out  of  the  body  in  this  house.  They  come  there 
sometimes.  Its  an  old  house,  but  you've  changed  it  a 
great  deal." 

(Since  my  father  bought  the  house  it  has  been  com- 
pletely renovated;  the  old  gas  lighting-fixtures  were  re- 
moved ;  the  house  was  wired  and  electric  lights  installed, 
and  it  was  painted  outside,  repapered  inside.  Also,  the 
fireplace  in  the  parlor  was  removed.  Considerable  change, 
indeed,  has  been  made  in  the  house,  inside  as  well  as  out, 
since  my  father  came  into  possession  of  it.) 

Mr.  B. :  "But  it  is  a  good  place,  though.  But  I 
prophesy  that  you  won't  always  live  there.  I  think  you 
will  move  within  a  year  or  two." 


OUR   JOE  199 

(I  am  not  sure  whether  Mr.  Brown  meant  the  whole 
family,  or  just  my  wife  and  I.) 

Following  this  Mr.  Brown  talked  awhile  concerning 
the  life  of  a  medium.  But  the  "sitting"  or  "reading"  was 
over. 

It  was  probably  the  longest  sitting  any  of  us  have 
yet  had. 

During  the  sitting  I  sat  opposite  Mr.  Brown,  while 
M.  L.  M.  sat  to  one  side.  While  under  control  the  medium's 
facial  expressions  would  frequently  change — and  many 
times,  so  like  Joe  did  he  talk,  and  move  his  head,  that  I 
almost  imagined  it  was  really  my  brother. 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 

Report  of  messages  received  by  M.  L.  M.  and  C.  S.  M. 
during  trance  seance  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  M.  J.  Isles,  1288 
California  st.,  San  Francisco,  Monday  afternoon,  Novem- 
ber 21,  1921,  about  4:00  o'clock. 

The  seance,  as  usual  with  the  seances  of  Mrs.  Isles, 
was  opened  with  music,  singing  and  prayer. 

The  medium  gave  a  very  good  preliminary  talk  con- 
cerning certain  aspects  of  her  life  and  work  as  a  sensitive. 
Then,  while  we  sang  "Ne'er  My  God  to  Thee,"  Mrs.  Isles 
surrendered  to  the  control  of  her  child-guide,  Jewell. 

After  giving  spirit  messages  to  perhaps  a  dozen 
others,  "Jewell'  came  over  to  M.  L.  M. 

"Haven't  you  a  papper  (papa)  in  spirit?" 

M.  L.  M. :     "Yes." 

Jewell :  "He  has  been  out  of  the  body  a  long  time. 
You  were  just  a  little  girl  (girl)  when  he  left  you.  But 
he  was  very  fond  of  you.  You  were  more  his  favorite  than 
your  mama's.  He  comes  to  you  and  puts  his  arms  around 
you.  (Mrs.  I.  took  M.  L.  M.'s  hands)  He  says,  'I  was  with 
you  when  you  cried  about  mama.  Don't  worry  about 
mama.  She  is  all  right.  'Tisn't  your  fault  you  can't  see 
her.'  He  say,  'Margie,  (hard  g)  this  is  a  beautiful  life! 
Do  you  remember  when  I  fell  from  the  building?'  "  (See 
message  first  received  from  Mrs.  Wallace.) 


200  OUR   JOE 

M.  L.  M. :  "Well,  I  can't  remember  it,  but  I've  heard 
mama  tell  about  it." 

H.  B. :  (Herman  Brunke)  "Do  you  remember  when 
I  whipped  you  ?" 

M.  L.  M. :  "No,  daddy,  I  don't  remember  you  ever 
whipped  me." 

H.  B. :     "Oh,  I  mean  just  in  fun — about  the  slippers!" 

M.  L.  M. :  "Sure  I  remember  that.  That's  all  /  do 
remember."  (See  pp.  94,  117,  119.) 

Mrs.  I. :  (Jewell  speaking)  "You  used  to  like  to 
play  with  dolls.  Your  papper  (papa)  bought  you  a  nice 
doll.  Remember?" 

M.  L.  M. :     "I  remember  the  doll,  yes." 

Mrs.  I. :  "Your  papper  says,  'We  are  not  apart.  I 
am  always  with  you.  God  is  good.' " 

M.  L.  M. :     "Papa,  is  Ollie  there  too  ?" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Yes,  he  is  here,  and  conditions  are  very 
good!  Don't  you  grieve  about  mama."  (Jewell  speak- 
ing) "Your  papper  is  a  beautiful  spirit.  He  loves  you." 

(Note:  The  mention  of  Mr.  Brunke's  fall  from  the 
building,  as  well  as  the  matter  of  the  slippers  is  very 
good.  See  table  sitting  of  Sept.  27.  Mrs.  Wallace  (in  the 
message  of  Sept.  28)  had  mentioned  the  matter  of  the 
newspaper,  but  she  did  not  speak  of  the  slippers  in  con- 
nection. This,  the  mention  of  the  slippers  (thru  a  med- 
ium) seven  weeks  later,  should  be  considered  very  evi- 
dential.) 

To  C.  S.  M.  (about  twenty  minutes  later)  "A  very 
strong  spirit  is  coming  to  you — a  young  man — has  brown 
hair  and  eyes — broad  shoulders — average  height.  He 
ain't  been  out  of  the  body  very  long."  (Jewell  was  speak- 
ing) He  brings  the  children — lots  children  with  him, 'and 
they  bring  flowers  to  you.  Children  say  he  (Joe)  is  a 
live  wire!  He  says,  'Tell  them  I  am  a  long  way  from 
dead!  It  didn't  take  me  long  to  find  my  surroundings, 
with  Grandma's  help,  and  brother's  and  sister's.  When 
Grandma  told  me  I  was  out  of  the  body  I  lost  no  time 
getting  into  home.  Death  was  not  much  of  a  shock  to 
me.  I  suffered  no  pain.  When  Grandma  came  I  said, 


OUR   JOE  201 

"Why,  Grandma,  are  you  hunting  too?"  She  said,  "No, 
only  for  souls.  I  came  back  to  earth  for  mama's  sake.  I 
want  you  to  put  all  this  in  the  book!'  He  laughs — says, 
'You  can  put  this — spots — spots — !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Spot;  Joe?  Are  you  saying  something 
about 'spot?" 

Mrs.  I.  (Jewell  explaining)  "No,  no  Sposs  one  drew 
him  up  the  hill !" 

C.  S.  M. :     "I  can't  understand." 

Jewell:  "S-p-o-r-t!  little  doggie — Sport — he  led  him 
up  the  hill!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Oh,  yes !  Now  I  understand.  You  mean 
the  little  dog  that  Joe  was  with !" 

Mrs.  I. :  "  Yes,  of  course !  Well,  'Sport'  is  psychic. 
Joe  has  been  communicating  with  'Sport.'  He  says,  Tm 
communicating  with  Sport!  It's  easier  to  work  with  ani- 
mals than  with  some  tough  knots !" 

C.  S.  M.:  "Well,  Joe,  we  are  trying  to  get  'Sport,' 
but  we  haven't  succeeded  yet.  But  say,  have  you  got 
animals  in  the  Spirit  World?" 

Joe :  "Sure !  We've  got  'Animal  spheres'  over  here. 
He  says  something  about  going  after  an  old  horse.  You 
know  the  one  he  means?" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Does  he  meand  old  'Spot?' ' 

Mrs.  I. :  "Yes,  that's  the  one  he  means.  He  was  very 
fond  of  animals — loved  animals — didn't  he?" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe  was  very  fond  of  animals.  I 
never  knew  him  to  mistreat  one !" 

Mrs.  I. :  "Joe  says,  'I  ain't  going  hunting  any  more, 
except  for  souls !' ' 

C.  S.  M, :  "Say,  Joe,  can  you  tell  me  where  mama, 
and  Margie,  and  I  were  this  morning?" 

Joe :  "Yes — you  were  by  a  little  boy — by  my  body. 
But  I  wasn't  in  there.  I  was  outside.  I  tried  to  make  you 
know  it,  but  you  couldn't! 

C.  S.  M. :  "Yes,  Joe,  that's  right.  We  were  out  to 
the  cemetery  this  morning.  We  brought  some  flowers  for 
yours  and  Grandma's  grave.  It's  awful  hard  for  us  to 
bear,  sometimes!" 


202  OUR   JOE 

I  immediately  regretted  this  statement,  for  the  med- 
ium, seemingly  controlled  by  Joe,  broke  into  weeping,  and 
sobbed  until  her  whole  frame  trembled  from  head  to  feet ; 
then,  speaking  as  tho  it  were  Joe : 

"Charlie,  your  power  draws  me  to  you.  I  know  you 
miss  me — and  I  miss  all  of  you — that's  why  I'm  around 
the  house  so  much !  But  I'm  contented.  Mama  will  be  all 
right." 

C.  S.  M. :     "Do  you  know  papa  isn't  at  home  now  ?" 

Joe :     "Yes,  he's  quite  a  ways  from  home  by  now." 

(A  striking  answer  considering  the  fact  that  my 
father  had  left  for  Chicago  two  days  before,  and  was  at 
that  moment  perhaps  half-way  between  home  and  Chi- 
cago.) 

C.  S.  M. :  "Do  you  know  I  wrote  to  Dr.  Austin  today 
about  the  book?  And  that  I  may  make  a  trip  to  Los  An- 
geles to  see  about  it  soon?" 

Joe :     "Yes,  I  know.    I  think  it  will  be  all  right !" 

C.  S.  M. :  "63^  the  way,  Joe,  do  you  remember  any- 
thing about  a  house  on  East  Eleventh  street?" 

Joe :    "Yes,  I  remember  the  money  we  put  into  it !' 

C.  S.  M.:     "We?" 

Joe:  "I  mean  the  money  I  put  into  it;  but  I  got 
some  from  Papa !" 

C.  S.  M. :     "Yes,  but  you  paid  that  all  back." 

Joe :     "Good  old  Pop !" 

(Note:  The  answer  to  the  question  about  the  house 
was  very  good.  It  was  Joe's  house  to  which  I  referred, 
of  course.  The  answer  was  quick,  right  to  the  point,  and 
quite  correct.  Lacking  but  $400  of  the  necessary  $4,000, 
my  brother  had  borrowed  that  amount  from  his  father. 
Mrs.  Isles,  of  course,  could  know  nothing  of  this  fact; 
furthermore,!  think  the  reader  will  agree  that  my  ques- 
tion was  not  worded  so  as  to  betray  the  answer.  The 
question  could  have  referred  simply  to  a  house  where  a 
friend  of  his  lived;  or  where  he  had  attended  some  party; 
or  any  number  of  things ;  yet,  without  evasion,  and  with- 
out hesitancy,  the  reply  covered  all  the  essential  facts  in 
connection  with  the  purchase  of  Joe's  house  on  East  llth 
street. 


OUR   JOE 


203 


Joe's  House  at  938  East  llth  Street,  Oakland 


Joe :  "Say,  dad's  father — Harvey  is  here !  Grandpa 
ig  a  brick !  I  want  to  come  back  again." 

C.  S.  M. :  "Say,  Joe,  do  you  think  you  will  be  able 
to  write  anything  more  thru  my  hand?" 

Joe:     "Just  wait!" 

C.  S.  M. :  "Joe,  you  know  we  are  very  anxious  to  get 
a  nice  Stone  put  up  at  your  grave  before  Christmas.  Do 
you  think  we  will  be  able  to?" 

Joe :  "Don't  worry  about  that !  That's  the  least  of 
my  troubles !  The  stone  will  get  put  up  all  right." 

The  others  are  with  me — Willie — Grandma — Grand- 
pa—." 


204-  OUR   JOE 

C.  S.  M.:     "And  Annie?" 

Joe:  "Yes.  Well,  good  bye  Charlie  (Mrs.  Isles 
shaking  my  hand.)  Tell  mama  ^  t  to  worry,  'old  man 
Joe'  is  all  right." 

(See  table  sitting  of  O»-i.  14,  where  "Old  man  Joe" 
was  spelled  out.  This  was  very  evidential.  While  my 
brother  was  paying  back  his  father  the  four  hundred 
dollars  which  he  had  borrowed  from  him,  he  sacrificed  his 
ordinary  pleasures  and  amusements,  spending  his  even- 
ings at  home.  After  supper  he  would  push  back  his  chair, 
roll  a  cigarette,  and  say :  'Well,  I  guess  old  man  Joe  will 
stay  at  home  tonight/  By  this  he  meant  that,  like  an  old 
man,  and  unlike  a  young  man,  he  wasn't  going  out  to 
spend  the  evening  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  and  amuse- 
ment.) 

(Perhaps  an  additional  note  should  be  added  con- 
cerning the  strange  remarks  made  in  connection  with  the 
little  dog  "Sport"  as  Joe  here,  and  elsewhere,  called  her.) 
(See  page  181.) 

The  reader  will  remember  that  in  a  private  sitting 
with  Mrs.  Isles  my  father  was  told  the  same  thing,  viz : 
that  the  little  dog  was  in  communication  with  Joe,  and 
that,  altho  it  sounded  "funny"  it  seemed  that  this  little 
dog  must  be  "clairvoyant." 

At  a  table  sitting  subsequent  to  my  father's  visit 
with  Mrs.  Isles,  Joe  spelled  out :  "Papa,  I  am  very  anxious 
for  you  to  get  that  little  dog.  He  sees  me  sometimes,  and 
when  he  does  he  jumps  for  joy.  I  think  it  will  make  it 
easier  for  me  to  come  strong  in  the  home,  if  you  will 
get  the  little  dog. 

S.  A.  M. :  "That  little  dog  stayed  with  Joe  several 
days  after  Joe  went  out  of  'HP  body,  didn't  he?" 

Joe :     "Yes." 

S.  A.  M. :     "She's  a  fiiie  little  dog,  isn't  she,  Joe  ?" 

Joe  (emphatically)  :  "Yes!"  (then  spelling)  "The 
little  dog  has  psychic  power." 

Mrs.  Isles,  of  course,  could  have  known  nothing  of 
this  message  which  came  thru  the  table,  in  our  own  home! 
We  all  agree  with  the  reader  that  the  idea  seems  ridicu- 


OUR   JOE  205 


lous ;  however,  there's  so  much  we  do  not  understand 
about  the  whole  subject,  it  is  not  for  us  to  say  that  such  a 
thing  is  impossible.) 


TRANSITION 

There  is  no  flock,  however  watched  and  tended, 

But  one  dead  lamb  is  there ; 
There  is  no  fireside,  howsoe'er  defended, 

But  has  one  vacant  chair! 

The  air  is  full  of  farewells  to  the  dying, 

And  mournings  for  the  dead ; 
The  heart  of  Rachel,  for  her  children  crying, 

Will  not  be  comforted! 

Let  us  be  patient!     These  severe  afflictions 

Not  from  the  ground  arise, 
But  oftentimes  celestial  benedictions 

Assume  this  dark  disguise. 

We  see  but  dimly  thru  the  mists  and  vapors ; 

Amid  these  earthly  damps 
What  seem  to  us  but  sad,  funereal  tapers 

May  be  heaven's  distant  lamps. 

There  is  no  death !    What  seems  so  is  transition ; 

This  life  of  mortal  breath 
Is  but  a  suburb  of  the  life  elysian, 

Whose  portal  we  call  Death. 

She  is  not  dead, — the  child  of  our  affection, — 

But  gone  unto  that  school 
Where  she  no  longer  needs  our  poor  protection, 

And  Christ  himself  doth  rule. 

In  that  great  cloister's  stillness  and  seclusion, 

By  guardian  angels  led, 
Safe  from  temptation,  safe  from  sin's  pollution, 

She  lives  whom  we  call  dead. 

Day  after  day  we  think  what  she  is  doing 

In  those  bright  realms  of  air; 
Year  after  year,  her  tender  steps  pursuing, 

Behold  her  grown  more  fair. 


206  OUR   JOE 


Thus  do  we  walk  with  her,  and  keep  unbroken, 

The  bond  which  nature  gives, 
Thinking  that  our  remembrance,  tho  unspoken, 

May  reach  her  where  she  lives. 

Not  as  a  child  shall  we  again  behold  her; 

For  when  with  raptures  wild 
In  our  embraces  we  again  enfold  her, 

She  will  not  be  a  child; 

But  a  fair  maiden,  in  her  Father's  mansion, 

Clothed  with   celestial   grace; 
And  beautiful  with  all  the  soul's  expansion 

Shall  we  behold  her  face. 

And  tho  at  times  impetuous  with  emotion 

And   anguish  long  suppressed, 
The  swelling  heart  heaves  moaning  like  the  ocean, 

That  cannot  be  at  rest, — 

We  will  be  patient,  and  assuage  the  feeling 

We  may  not  wholly  stay; 
By  silence  sanctifying,  not  concealing, 

The  grief  that  must  have  way. 

— H.  W.  Longfellow. 


OUR   JOE  207 

APPENDIX  No.  1 

CONCERNING    ANTICIPATED    "EXPLANATIONS," 
"OBJECTIONS"  AND  "REPLIES" 

There  is  little  doubt  that  when  this  book  is  published 
there  will  be  criticism.  There  will  also  be  learned  "ex- 
planations" of  the  phenomena  herein  recorded,  as  well  as 
attempts  at  ridicule  and  sarcasm. 

Someone  will  offer  the  suggestion  that  the  story  of 
my  brother's  disappearance,  the  search  made  for  him  by 
scores  of  men,  and  the  ultimate  finding  of  his  body,  were 
published  in  all  the  newspapers,  and  that,  therefore,  these 
mediums  were  in  possession  of  all  the  facts  concerning 
the  tragedy,  and  that  they  did  not  require  any  "super- 
normal" inspiration  to  enable  them  to  tell  us  all  they  did. 

Granting  that  Mrs.  Nanning,  Mrs.  Wallace,  Mrs. 
Isles,  Mrs.  Hyams,  Mr.  Brown,  and  the  other  mediums 
whose  communications  are  reported  in  this  book,  had 
read  these  newspaper  stories,  and  that  they  were  all 
indelibly  impressed  with  the  details  at  this  time,  may  I 
offer  the  following  suggestions : 

First.  The  daily  papers  are  constantly  publishing 
stories  of  accidental  deaths,  suicides,  murders  and  similar 
tragedies.  Since  my  brother's  death  the  Oakland  and  San 
Francisco  papers  have  published  hundreds  of  such  stories. 
Is  it  likely  that  all  these  mediums  would  have,  or  could 
have,  remembered  all  these  details  concerning  my 
brother's  death,  when  his  case  was  but  one  of  many  such 
tragedies  published  during  the  weeks  that  elapsed  from 
the  16th,  17th,  18th  and  19th  of  August  to  the  19th  of 
September,  and  following? 

Furthermore,  the  objections  which  applied  to  the 
case  of  Sir  Oliver  Lodge,  in  his  investigations,  as  reported 
in  Raymond,  can  hardly  be  applied  to  us,  for  the  reason 
that  we  were  not  widely  known  in  the  Bay  region;  we 
were  not  Spiritualists,  and  we  did  not  attend  Spiritualist 
meetings. 

Why  should  any  medium,  or  mediums,  take  the 
trouble  to  clip  from  the  papers,  or  to  memorize,  the 


208  OUR   JOE 

particulars  concerning  the  mysterious  disappearance,  and 
the  subsequent  finding,  of  an  obscure,  "common  working" 
lad? 

What  assurance  could  they  have  had  that  any  of  his 
family  would  ever  visit  them  for  communications  ? 

Furthermore,  I  was  away  during  the  whole  time  of 
the  newspaper  publicity  concerning  my  brother.  My 
picture  was  not  published  in  any  of  the  papers.  It  had 
been  eighteen  months  since  I  had  been  in  Oakland. 

I  went  to  see  Mrs.  Nanning  anonymously.  She  did 
not  know  me  from  Adam,  nor  did  I  know  her.  I  simply 
saw  her  name  in  the  church  notices  and  determined  to 
visit  her  for  a  reading. 

Supposing  Mrs.  Nanning  to  be  in  possession  of  the 
particulars  concerning  Joe,  how  did  she  know,  when  I 
called,  that  I  was  the  one  to  spring  it  on  ? 

I  had  been  in  Oakland  but  six  days  when  I  called  upon 
Mrs.  Nanning.  Yet,  without  any  hints  from  me  as  to  my 
identity,  she  gave  me  the  remarkable  sitting  recorded 
under  another  heading. 

How  did  Mrs.  Wallace  know  who  we  were,  when  we 
dropped  anonymously  into  her  Fillmore  street  apart- 
ment, Sept.  28  ?  •  Even  supposing  the  medium  to  be  f amilar 
with  the  story  of  Joe,  or  to  be  in  touch  with  a  vast,  in- 
formation bureau  maintained  by  Spiritualists,  how  could 
she  know  the  proper  persons  to  tell  it  to?  Must  we  as- 
sume that  she  was  in  possession  of  photographs  of  the 
mothers,  fathers  and  brothers  of  all  the  victims  of  acci- 
dent and  tragedy  in  San  Francisco  region? 

By  referring  to  the  report  of  the  message  received 
from  Mrs.  Wallace  on  this  occasion,  the  reader  will  notice 
the  "message"  given  to  M.  L.  M.  Surely  Mrs.  Wallace 
did  not  get  this  information  from  the  newspapers,  as 
well. 

Possibly  the  "information  bureau"  had  supplied  her 
with  these  facts  which  happened  in  Chicago  fifteen  years 
ago! 

Did  the  bureau  also  supply  Mrs.  Wallace  with  the 
intimate  detail  of  the  folded  newspaper,  with  which  M.  L. 


OUR   JOE  209 

M.'s  father  slapped  her,  and  which  incident  happens  to 
be  all  that  my  wife  remembers  of  her  father  ? 

How  did  Mrs.  Wallace  know  my  father  was  con- 
nected with  Joe,  the  first  time  she  ever  saw  him?  And 
how  did  she  know  that  there  had  been  a  premature  birth 
more  than  twenty-five  years  ago?  It  was  not  published 
in  any  newspapers  that  I  ever  heard  of,  and  it  happened 
out  in  the  country,  while  my  parents  were  living  on  a 
farm! 

How  did  Mrs.  Nanning  know  Joe  had  an  Uncle 
George? 

Did  she  read  in  the  newspaper  how  Grandpa  Mundell 
took  off  his  boots  thirty  years  ago  ? 

It  is  obvious  that,  while  the  publicity  given  my 
brother's  disappearance  and  accident  might  account  for 
some  of  the  "communications"  we  received  from  mediums, 
it  could  not  possibly  account  for  all. 

None  of  these  mediums  could  have  learned  from  the 
newspapers  the  facts  concerning  my  little  sister  Annie, 
and  my  little  brother  Willie. 

The  "explanations"  do  not  explain.  They  are  weighed 
in  the  balance  and  found  wanting. 

But  there  will  be  another,  and  far  more  serious,  ex- 
planation offered,  than  the  above  insinuations  of  fraud, 
newspaper-reading,  "detective  work,  etc.  It  is  the  argu- 
ment that  the  law  of  telepathy  is  sufficient  to  account  for 
all  the  "communcations"  we  have  received. 

The  fact  is,  that  the  appeal  to  telepathy  in  account- 
ing for  psychic  phenomena  is  just  as  much  an  appeal  to 
the  unknown  as  is  the  spiritistic  hypothesis. 

Very  little  is  actually  known  about  the  phenomena  of 
telepathy,  beyond  the  fact  that  experiments  have  demon- 
strated that  it  exists. 

The  foremost  champion  of  the  telepathic  theory  is 
probably  T.  J.  Hudson,  author  of  the  scholarly  and  brilli- 
ant, "Law  of  Psychic  Phenomena,"  and  "Scientific  Demon- 
stration of  a  Future  Life." 

I  have  read,  and  thoroughly  enjoyed  both  these  books. 
They  are  well  written,  and  are  calculated  to  stimulate 


210  OUR   JOE 

logical  thinking.  I  hold  that  anything  which  compels 
thought  is  a  good  thing ;  hence,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  recom- 
mend Dr.  Hudson's  two  books  as  being  about  the  best 
treatment  of  Psychic  Phenomena,  from  a  negative  stand- 
point, that  I  have  ever  seen. 

However,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  requires  much  more 
faith  to  accept  many  of  Mr.  Hudson's  "explanations"  of 
psychic  and  spiritistic  phenomena,  than  it  does  to  accept 
the  hypothesis  of  Spirit  intervention.  It  seemed  to  me 
when  I  was  reading  the  books  above  named  (and  I  read 
them  before  my  brother  was  killed ;  hence,  with  a  more  de- 
tached and  scientific  attitude)  that  many  of  the  explana- 
tory suggestions  were  far-fetched  and  illogical;  that  the 
"explanations"  were  even  more  "phenomenal"  than  the 
phenomena  they  pretended  to  explain ! 

Says  Maeterlinck :  "Let  us  not  accept  some  grotesque 
hypothesis  rather  than  the  simpler  one  of  individual  sur- 
vival." 

Many  of  the  hypotheses  suggested  in  the  works  of 
T.  J.  Hudson,  Dr.  Henry  Frank,  and  others  of  that  school, 
are  grotesque  and  ridiculous  in  the  extreme! 

Many  are  the  "objections"  which  are  offered  in  re- 
gard to  Modern  Spiritualism  and  Mediumship !  Not  the 
least  frequent  of  these  objections  is  the  objection  to  what 
we  are  pleased  to  style  the  "Fee  system ;"  i.  e.,  the  practice 
of  mediums  in  receiving  "fees"  of  one  to  two  or  more 
dollars  for  readings. 

Personally,  I  believe  that  the  "fee  system"  is  a  mis- 
chievous thing — not  only  as  regards  Mediumship,  but  also 
as  regards  the  practice  of  Law,  Medicine,  and  many  other 
professions,  and  nothing  could  make  me  happier  than  to 
see  it  completely  abolished !  It  is  one  of  the  rotten  things 
in  our  present  economic  and  social  system. 

So  many  of  the  good  and  beautiful  things  of  life  are 
grossly  commercialized;  art,  poetry,  music  literature, 
drama,  healing,  and — well,  practically  everything  in 
modern  life! 

That  it  is  unfortunate  that  mediums  must  charge, 
or  receive  fees,  I  readily  admit ;  but  I  do  not  see  any  im- 


OUR   JOE  211 

mediate  way  out  of  the  dilemma.  What  are  the  poor 
mediums  going  to  do  ?  They  are  not  rich ;  at  least,  I  have 
not  met  any  who  are.  The  mediums  I  have  met  have  all 
been  poor,  or  in  extremely  moderate  circumstances. 

Should  they  give  their  readings  to  any  and  to  all, 
without  money  and  without  price,  trusting  only  to  the 
goodness  and  generosity  of  those  for  whom  they  read? 
Or  should  they  depend  upon  "free-will"  donations? 

I  have  been  a  minister  for  eleven  years.  I  know  how 
close,  and  how  "stingy"  thousands  of  people  are !  There 
are  tens  of  thousands  who  will  drop  into  the  collection  a 
nickel,  or  a  dime,  or  perhaps  a  quarter,  in  return  for  five 
dollars  worth  of  personal  benefit!  If  you  don't  believe 
this  is  true,  ask  any  preacher,  any  lecturer,  or  any  public 
speaker,  or  any  one  who  has  depended  upon  "collections" 
for  support  (or  even  for  necessary  expenses),  and  you 
will  be  told  that  the  responses  of  audiences  in  this  respect 
is  almost  sufficient  to  convert  a  humanitarian  into  a 
"hard-boiled"  cynic ! 

There  are  too  many  people  in  this  world  who  are 
eternally  wanting  something  for  nothing!  And  if  they 
get  it  for  nothing,  they  not  only  do  not  appreciate  what 
they  get,  but  they  half-despise  the  giver! 

If  you  go  into  a  telegraph  or  cable  office,  and  wish  to 
get  a  telegram  or  cablegram  thru  to  some  friend  or  loved 
one,  you  have  to  pay  a  rate.  If  you  consider  the  message 
really  important,  you  do  not  object.  Is  not  a  message 
from  the  "other  side  of  death"  of  infinitely  more  value 
than  a  telegram  or  cablegram? 

And  while  we  are  on  the  illustration  of  telegraphy  it 
might  be  well  to  develop  the  analogy  a  little  more. 

There  is  a  considerable  parallel  between  the  sending 
and  receiving  of  telegrams,  and  the  sending  and  receiving 
of  "communications"  between  the  spirits  of  the  dead  and 
those  living  in  the  flesh. 

Many  people  ask  the  Question :  "If  my  loved  ones  can 
come  to  me  through  a  medium,  why  cannot  they  come  to 
me  directly?" 

Suppose  I  am  in   New  York,   and  my  wife  is   in 


212  OUR   JOE 

San  Francisco.  We  will  let  "New  York"  represent  the 
Spirit  World,  and  "San  Francisco"  the  earth-plane.  If 
I  wish  to  communicate  with  my  wife  by  telegraph  it  is 
necessary  for  me  to  go  where  there  is  a  mechanical  med- 
ium! No  matter  how  passionately  I  may  long  to  com- 
municate with  my  wife,  it  cannot  be  done  except  thru  the 
media  of  the  telepraph  instruments  and  the  wires.  It 
may  be  that  my  wife  is  uncertain  as  to  my  whereabouts, 
and  that  I  am  extremely  anxious  to  send  her  some  word 
to  the  effect  that  I  am  still  alive  and  happy.  Yet,  if  I 
am  either  ignorant  of  such  a  system  as  the  telegraph  sys- 
tem ;  or  if  I  am  unwilling  to  use  it,  I  cannot  communicate 
with  that  loved  one ! 

Well,  I  go  to  the  office  to  send  a  telegram.  I  am  the 
communicator.  My  wife  is  the  "sitter."  Can  I  send  the 
message  directly?  Not  unless  I  am  a  telegrapher,  and 
not  then  unless  the  regular  telegrapher  is  willing  to  give 
way  to  me  (which  is  not  often  likely.)  So,  then,  there  is 
the  communicator  (myself)  ;  there  is  the  control  or  guide, 
the  telegrapher,  and  at  the  other  end  there  is  another 
telegrapher  (the  medium)  and  the  recipient. 

I  give  my  message  to  the  "control"  (telegrapher)  he 
flashes  it  over  the  wires  to  the  "medium"  (another  tele- 
grapher), and  he  gives  the  message  to  my  wife.  Some- 
times mistakes  are  made,  and  meanings  are  mixed  up, 
in  the  process  of  transmission. 

For  example,  not  very  long  ago  I  wired  my  father 
that  I  would  arrive  in  Oakland  at  the  fortieth  and  San 
Pablo  Street  Station.  The  telegram  read,  "at  the  Four- 
teenth and  San  Pablo  Station."  My  father  went  to  four- 
teenth and  San  Pablo,  and  missed  me.  Suppose  he  had 
said,  "Well,  that  message  proved  to  be  false;  therefore 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  telegraphy?"  Would  that  have 
been  wise  or  judicious? 

So  it  frequently  happens  that  "communications"  get 
mixed  up  in  the  process  of  transmission  from  the  com- 
municator to'  the  control,  and  from  the  control  to  the 
medium,  and  from  the  medium  to  the  "sitter."  Hence,  due 
allowance  should  be  made  for  these  "errors  of  trans- 
mission." 


OUR   JOE  2J3 

* 

Have  you  ever  talked  over  long  distance  telephone? 
If  you  have,  you  know  how  hard  it  is  sometimes  to  under- 
stand, and  to  make  one's  self  understood.  Sometimes  it  is 
utterly  impossible  to  make  certain  words  clear. 

I  remember  two  or  three  years  ago  I  telephoned  a 
party  some  sixty  miles  distant  that  I  was  leaving  that  day 
for  Beggs,  Oklahoma.  The  party  at  the  other  end  of  the 
line  could  not  understand,  altho  I  repeated  it  several  times 
thru  the  telephone.  The  party  afterwards  told  me  all  she 
could  hear  was  "something  about  some  eggs,"  and  she 
couldn't  comprehend  why  I  should  call  her  up  over  long 
distance  to  talk  about  eggs! 

When  the  lines  are  in  poor  condition  it  is  frequently 
necessary  for  the  communicator  to  give  his  message  to 
the  operator,  who  then  repeats  it  to  the  "Central"  at  the 
.other  end,  who,  in  turn,  repeats  it  to  the  recipient.  I  have 
had  this  experience  many,  many  times. 

A  medium  is  like  a  telegraph  or  a  telephone  opera- 
tor. She  is  not  always  to  blame  for  the  mistakes  and 
errors  which  are  made  in  transmission.  Some  times  the 
"lines"  are  down.  Sometimes  the  "communicator"  does 
not  make  himself  clear,  and  the  medium  has  to  "guess"  at 
much  of  his  meaning. 

I  remember  talking  thru  the  telephone  to  a  foreigner, 
when  I  could  not  understand  one  iota  of  what  he  was  driv- 
ing at! 

There  is  another  thing,  however,  which  should  be 
said  in  this  connection.  After  making  all  due  allowance 
for  "crossed  wires,"  "mistakes  in  transmission,"  etc.,  it  is 
also  true  that  many  mediums  are  not  as  careful  as  they 
should  be,  especially  when  giving  messages  from  the  public 
platform,  to  avoid  "guessing,"  "feeling  for  leads,"  and 
"fishing  for  hints."  Frankly,  I  have  frequently  come 
away  from  Spiritualist  message  meetings  sick  at  heart 
and  thoroughly  disgusted!  Why?  Because  I  did  not  get 
a  satisfactory  message?  No.  But  because  it  was  perfectly 
obvious  that  the  medium,  in  the  apparent  absence  of 
Spiritual  Power,  was  resorting  to  cheap  generalities, 


214  OUR   JOE 

vague  and  indefinite  insinuations,  pure  "guessing,"  and 
the  nauseating  tactics  of  the  fortune-teller ! 

For  example,  who  is  there  who  has  attended  Spirit- 
ualist meetings  with  any  degree  of  regularity,  who  has  not 
heard  from  the  lips  of  mediums  such  slush  and  tommy-rot 
as :  "You  have  lived  a  good  life,  but  you  have  had  lots  of 
trouble.  Your  path  has  not  always  been  one  of  roses. 
You  have  had  financial  difficulties,  obstacles  and  problems ; 
but  after  the  first  of  next  year,  or  within  two,  three  or 
six  months,  all  will  be  bright  for  you !" 

In  the  name  of  God,  who  on  earth  is  there  who  could 
not  accept  all  this  as  a  personal  application?  All  have 
had  troubles;  all  have  worried  about  finances,  one  way 
or  another,  and  all  are  continually  making  various  kinds 
of  changes.  Oh,  these  changes  which  everybody  is  going 
to  make ! 

I  have  heard  so  much  of  this  sort  of  thing  in  message 
meetings,  but  for  the  fact  that  I  was  dominated  by  a 
sole  purpose,  I  would  have  become  thoroughly  prejudiced 
upon  more  than  one  occasion ! 

To  the  psychics  and  mediums  who  may  read  this  book 
I  wish  to  address  this  plea :  If  you  do  not  feel  that  you 
can  give  genuine  spiritual  messages  at ^certain  times,  be 
frank  enough  to  tell  the  people  so!  Don't  resort  to  guess- 
ing and  to  a  lot  of  vague,  indefinite,  generalizations! 

Personally,  J'd  a  thousand  times  rather  receive  no 
message  at  all,  than  to  be  told  all  this  bunk  about  "going 
to  make  a  change,"  have  had  "financial  troubles,"  etc.  I 
probably  know  as  much  about  that  as  anyone  in  the  Spirit 
World  can  know,  and  I  am  perfectly  content  to  use  my 
own  judgment  in  material  things ! 

There  is  also  an  assumption  of  infallibility  on  the 
part  of  some  mediums  which  is  very  offensive  to  me. 

Not  very  long  ago  a  medium  was  professing  to  give 
me  a  message  from  my  brother  which  /  knew  ivas  a  posi- 
tive mistake!  I  endeavored  to  explain  to  the  medium  that 
she  was  off  the  track,  but  was  curtly  informed  that,  "I 
am  giving  you  not  one  word  except  what  I  get  from  the 
Spirits." 


OUR   JOE  215 

Well,  I  knew  that  the  nonsense  she  was  telling  me 
simply  could  not,  by  any  conceivable  possibility,  come 
from  my  brother*  simply  because  it  was  wholly  and  en- 
tirely incorrect! 

Suppose  this  had  been  my  first  experience,  and  that  I 
had  not  read  enough  about  the  subject  to  appreciate  the 
difficulties  involved?  I  would  probably  have  taken  a 
solemn  oath  never  to  have  anything  more  to  do  with 
Spiritualism ! 

My  purpose  in  recounting  the  above  is  to  warn  the 
reader  not  to  become  discouraged  if  you  run  into  in- 
stances of  this  sort.  Remember  that  it  is  often  necessary 
to  dig  down  through  a  mass  of  dirt  and  rubbish  to  find 
one  diamond,  but  the  finding  of  one  diamond  is  worth  the 
digging ! 

In  a  very  large  measure  the  public  itself  is  responsi- 
ble for  these  unfortunate  features  which  characterize  so 
many  Spiritualist  meetings.  This  is  especially  true  in  the 
private  circles,  where  every  one  present  feels  that  he  or 
she  must  receive  a  "message."  The  medium,  feeling 
under  a  sort  of  obligation  to  give  "something"  to  every 
one,  very  often  gets  excellent  messages  through  for  some, 
and  failures  for  pthers. 

If  I  could  have  my  way  I  would  certainly  make  the 
requirements  for  professional  mediumship  much  stricter 
than  they  are  in  the  Spiritualist  Associations ;  but  I  would 
do  more;  I  would  endow  every  worthy  and  competent 
medium  with  sufficient  to  guarantee  economic  independ- 
ence, so  that  the  psychic  would  not  be  dependent  upon 
"fees." 


OUR   JOE  2H 

APPENDIX  NO,  2 

Have  Animals  Immortal  Souls?  Do  they,  as  well  as  human 
oeings,  survive  death? 

From  the  Introduction  of  "Proofs  of  Immortality,"  by  Dr.  J. 
M.  Peebles,  page  5:  "The  eminent  John  Wesley  (founder  of 
Methodism)  and  other  noted  men  of  the  past,  believed  in  the  im- 
mortality of  animals.  Their  existence  is  certainly  dual.  They 
have  instinct,  sensation,  and  they  reason  on  a  certain  plane  of 
consciousness.  But  whether  immortal  or  not,  they  deserve  our 
tenderest  care. 

a  *  *  *  There  is  a  peculiar  worm — the  nais — which,  when 
cut  into  several  sections,  will  reproduce  itself  from  every  section, 
showing  conclusively  that  there  was  a  vital  entity  in  each  section 
capable  of  reproducing  this  re-growth.  Amputate  the  leg  of  a 
salamander,  and  it  will  be  reproduced  to  the  minutest  details, 
joints,  veins,  nerves.  And  why?  Because  the  real  entity— the 
invisible  leg — was  not  removed.  The  material  at  best  is  but  a 
shadow.  The  vital  leg  remained,  serving  as  the  attractive  force 
for  the  bioplasmic  cells  to  rebuild  the  exact  form  of  the  displaced 
leg,  even  to  the  muscles,  tendons,  arteries,  bones,  each  and  all  in 
their  proper  relations.  *  *  * 

"If  the  animals  and  insects  of  earth  exist  in  the  spirit  world, 
which  is  plausible,  it  do'es  not  prove  that  they  will  so  progress,  or 
so  exist  consciously  in  the  celestial  or  angelic  world,  destination 
being  considered  the  measure  of  aspiration." 

There  is  in  Scripture  but  one,  single  passage,  which  can  legiti- 
mately be  quoted  against  the  supposition  that  animals  also  have 
souls;  namely,  Eccl.  3:21:  "Who  knoweth  the  spirit  of  man  that 
goeth  upward,  and  the  spirit  of  the  beast  that  goeth  downward 
to  the  earth?"  A  little  examination  of  this  text,  however,  will 
reveal  its  utter  inadequacy  as  a  proof-text.  It  is  a  text  which 
should  not  be  quoted  apart  from  its  context.  So  far  as  teaching 
that  man  has  a  spirit  "which  goes  upward."  and  the  beast  a  spirit 
which  "goes  downward,"  it  does  nothing  of  the  kind;  on  the  con- 
trary, the  implication  is  the  very  opposite,  viz.,  that  man  has  not 
a  spirit  which  goes  upward,  any  more  than  has  the  beast! 

"For  that  which  befalleth  the  sons  of  men  befalleth  beasts; 
even  one  thing  befalleth  them:  As  the  one  dieth,  so  dieth  the  other; 
yea,  they  have  all  one  breath;  so  that  a  man  hath  no  pre-eminence 
above  a  beast"  (v.  19).  There  is  no  misunderstanding  this  state- 
ment. It  places  human-life  in  precisely  the  same  category  as  an- 
imal-life,- and  declares  that  so  far  as  death  is  concerned,  the  chances 
of  the  beast  are  equally  as  good  as  those  of  man!  Notice  the 
phrase:  A  man  hath  no  pre-eminence  over  the  beast;  (v.20)  all 
go  unto  one  place;  all  are  dust,  and  all  turn  to  dust  again." 

Verse  21  is  not  a  statement  to  the  effect  that  man  has  a  spirit 
which  sets  him  apart  from  the  brute-creation;  it  is  a  cynical  ques- 
tion: "Who  knows  that  'the  spirit  of  man  goeth  upward,  and  the 
spirit  of  the  beast  goeth  downward  to  the  earth?'  "  The  preceding 


218  OUR   JOE 

verses  indicate  clearly  that  the  author  of  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes 
took  no  stock  in  the  notion  that  man  is  essentially  different  from 
the  beasts:  he  declares  that  such  is  not  the  case,  for  "All  go  unto 
one  place."  Therefore,  if  man  dies,  and  the  beast  dies,  and  they 
have  spirits,  they  must  all  "go  unto  one  place." 

In  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Isaiah  there  is  a  description  of  the 
time  when  the  Kingdom  of  God  shall  be  established.  It  is  to  be 
a  "Spiritual"  Kingdom,  and  it  is  expressly  declared  that  there 
will  be  certain  animals  therein. 

''The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall 
lie  with  the  kid;  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling 
together;  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them.  And  the  cow  and  the 
bear  shall  feed ;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together :  and  the 
lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox.  And  the  suckling  child  shall 
play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his 
hand  on  the  cockatrice's  (adder — a  poisonous  snake)  den.  They 
shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain:  for  the  earth 
shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea  (Isa.  11:6-9)."  See  also  Isa.  65:25. 

The  above  is  obviously  a  prophecy  of  the  time  when  "Thy  King- 
dom (has)  come,  and  Thy  Will  (is) -done,  on  earth,  as  it  is  in 
heaven";  i.  e.,  in  the  Spirit  World! 

In  Hosea  2:18  there  is  another  prophecy  concerning  the  coming 
of  the  same  Kingdom :  "And  in  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant 
for  them  with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  with  the  fowls  of  heaven, 
and  with  the  creeping  things  of  the  ground:  and  I  will  break  the 
bow  and  the  sword  and  the  battle  out  of  the  earth,  and  I  will 
make  them  to  lie  down  safely." 

It  seems  reasonable  to  believe,  in  the  lieiit  of  the  nrayer  which 
Jesus  taught  his  disciples  to  pray  (Mt.  6:10),  that  God  is  work- 
ing toward  the  ultimate  end  of  a  transformation  of  the  earth 
into  the  likeness,  or  into  a  reflection,  of  Heaven ;  ( See  page  .... 
for  the  teaching  of  Plotinus  on  this  subject)  at  any  rate,  this  has 
been  the  dream  of  the  prophets  and  seers  of  all  ages,  races,  climes, 
and  tongues! 

If  the  earth  is  ultimately  to  be  transformed  into  the  likeness 
or  into  an  exact  replica  of  heaven;  and  if,  when  that  glad  time 
comes,  "the  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopaid  lie 
with  the  kid,  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  to- 
gether; and  the  cow  and  the  bear  feed  together,"  then  it  is  a  logi- 
cal inference  that  such  a  condition  must  prevail  in  heaven;  that  is, 
in  the  Spirit  World. 

We  are  told  by  John  the  Revelator  that  he  saw  horses  in  heaven 
(Rev.  6:2;  19:11).  See  also  Zech.  1:8;  6:3. 

In  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  I  Corinthians,  in  connection  with  his 
famous  argument  on  the  resurrection,  Paul  seems  to  imply  that 
men,  and  beasts,  and  fish,  and  birds,  all  survive  death»  and  are 
given  "spiritual  bodies."  (V.  39.)  "All  flesh  is  not  the  same  flesh : 
but  there  is  one  kind  of  flesh  of  men,  another  flesh  of  beasts,  an- 


OUR   JOE  219 

other  of  fishes,  and  another  of  birds.  *  *  *  So  also  is  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead  (v.  42)." 

In  Rev.  22:15  we  read:  "For  without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers, 
and  whoremongers,  and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever 
loveth  and  maketh  a  lie."  This  would  imply  that  dogs  will  survive 
death,  but  are  not  to  be  permitted  to  "enter  in  through  the  gates 
into  the  city";  that  is,  into  the  highest  heaven! 

That  there  is  more  than  one  heaven  is  mplied  over  and  over  in 
the  Scriptures.  See  Acts  2:34;  Psa.  2:4;  18:13;  36:5;  89:2; 
103:19;  115:3;  123:1;  Luke  12:33;  II  Cor.  5:1;  Heb.  8:9;  9:23. 

Paul  was  caught  up  "into  the  third  heaven"    (II  Cor.   12:24). 

Jesus  said:  "In  my  Father's  House  (Universe)  there  are  many 
mansions  (dwellings  or  habitations)."  That  is  to  say.  "In  my 
Father's  house  (and  the  whole  universe  is  God's  house.  Acts 
17:24-29;  7:48,  49;  Jno.  4:21-24),  there  are  many  'Mansions,'" 
or  kingdoms,  planes,  spheres,  worlds  (Jno.  14:2).  The  American 
Standard  Version  places  a  reference  number  after  the  word  "man- 
sions," and  in  the  margin  indicates  that  it  may  be  translated  "abid- 
ing-places." The  Twentieth  Century  Modern  English  Translation 
renders  the  passage  thus:  "In  my  Father's  home  there  are  many 
dwellings." 

There  are  many  kingdoms  of  life  upon  the  earth :  Vegetable  life, 
ocean,  river,  and  sea  life,  jungle  life,  the  kingdom  of  birds  and 
fowls,  etc.  Many  of  these  kingdoms  of  material  life  are  far  re- 
moved from  the  life  of  human  beings:  such  as  ants  (which  crea- 
tures build  cities,  keep  slaves,  bury  their  dead,  wage  war,  plant 
and  harvest  crops,  etc.),  fish,  birds,  and  myriads  of  forms  of  life 
down  in  the  earth. 

Is  it  inconceivable  that  all  these  kingdoms  may  have  their  Spir- 
itual or  ethereal  counterparts?1  And  that  in  the  Spirit  World  man 
may  have  as  his  companions  certain  of  the  animals  which  have  been 
his  companions  and  friends  in  the  earth-life?  And  that  many  of 
these  kingdoms  will  be  as  remote  from  his  life  in  the  spirit  as 
they  were  from  his  life  in  the  flesh? 


Reader's  Attention! 

In  the  very  near  future  (as  soon  as  funds  are 
available)  another  book  will  be  published  by 
Charles  S.  Mundell,  under  the  Title,  "The  Bible, 
The  Churches  and  Spirit  Return." 

As  an  ordained  minister  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  Mr.  Mundell  thoroughly  understands  the 
psychology  and  the  difficulties  of  the  average 
Church  folk,  and  the  problems  which  must  be  met 
in  winning  them  to  the  Truth  Of  Spirit  Return. 

He  has  written  this  book  especially  to  reach  the 
clergy  and  the  laity  of  the  orthodox  and  liberal 
churches.  One  hundred  pages  will  be  devoted  to 
the  Bible  Argument  for  Spiritualism;  fifty  pages 
will  discuss  ths  question,  "What  is  the  Spirit 
World  Like :  In  the  Light  Of  the  Scriptures,  and 
Of  Modern  Spiritualism ;"  and  fifty  pages  will  be 
devoted  to  the  relation  between  the  organized 
churches  and  the  movements  known  as  Psychical 
Research  and  Modern  Spiritualism. 

Would  you  like  to  help  publish  this  book?  If 
so,  send  in  your  own  order  at  once.  Your  name 
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AUTOGRAPHED  BY  MR.  MUNDELL. 

The  book  will  be  bound  in  heavy  paper,  sewn, 
and  will  be  printed  on  finest  quality  stock. 

Price :  $1.00  per  copy. 

Send  orders  and  remittances  to:  Rev.  Chas.  S. 
Mundell,  904  Brush  St.,  Oakland,  Calif. 

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